NORTHERN IRELAND

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost of leasing buildings and office space for  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies was in each of the last five years.

Peter Hain: The following table provides the cost of leasing buildings and office space for the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) and its agencies in each of the last five years.
	
		
			  Cost of leasing buildings for the NIO 
			  £ 
			   (a) NIO core Department  (b) NIO agencies 
			 2002-03 2,772,289 510,961 
			 2003-04 4,639,322 757,961 
			 2004-05 4,415,755 873,961 
			 2005-06 5,298,142 958,961 
			 2006-07 7,774,456 1,025,961

Departments: Travel Agents

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department and its agencies paid in travel agencies' fees in each year since 1997.

Peter Hain: We are unable to provide all of the information requested by the hon. Member.
	Travel agency fees, historically, have not been separately identifiable on invoices; they are added to the total cost of arranging travel or accommodation so we are unable to easily identify the fees paid.
	The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) core Department put a system in place in financial year 2005-06 in order to identify travel agency fees. The following table provides the travel agency fees paid in the last two financial years. The NIO's agencies do not have the same system in place so for them to identify the fees would be at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Travel agency fees 
			  NIO core Department  £ 
			 2005-06 66,000 
			 2006-07 59,000

Legal Advice

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent by the Department on external legal advice in each of the past five years.

Peter Hain: The Department and its agencies have spent the following amounts on external legal advice during the past five years:
	
		
			   Amount (£) 
			 2002-03 1,069,261.75 
			 2003-04 469,273.99 
			 2004-05 1,393,392.63 
			 2005-06 1,051,442.37 
			 2006-07 1,021,682.01 
		
	
	As with all public sector procurement, contracts for external legal services should be awarded on the basis of value for money, in line with the Government's policy on public procurement.
	Within the figures above, one branch provided an overall figure for external legal advice and court representation as they had no means of providing a breakdown to show external legal advice only.
	Public Prosecution Service NI were unable to provide a response to this question as it would not be feasible to disaggregate what was spent on advice and what was spent on the conduct of prosecutions. For them to do so would be grossly misleading as advice and the conduct of prosecutions are generally intimately intertwined and not capable of disaggregation.

Public Inquiries

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his most recent estimate is of the cost to public funds to date of  (a) the Saville Inquiry,  (b) the Finucane Inquiry,  (c) the Hamill Inquiry,  (d) the Nelson Inquiry and  (e) the Wright Inquiry; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: Figures for the expenditure on each inquiry since its establishment, which have been rounded, are set out in the following table. The Patrick Finucane Inquiry has not been established.
	
		
			   Total costs of inquiry expenditure to end April 2007 (£) 
			 Robert Hamill Inquiry 10,411,000 
			 Billy Wright Inquiry 7,217,000 
			 Rosemary Nelson Inquiry 15,169,000 
			 Bloody Sunday Inquiry(1) 180,775,000 
			 Total 213,572,000 
			 (1) Of this total cost (rounded) £142.6 million falls to the NIO, the remaining £38.2 million falls to the MOD 
		
	
	My predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Torfaen (Mr. Murphy), said to the House on 1 April 2004,  Official Report, column 757:
	"I know that concern has been expressed in this House and elsewhere about the length and cost of some public inquiries. In particular, there are concerns about the cost of the Bloody Sunday inquiry—£129.9 million to date, with a predicted final cost of £155 million. I understand that unhappiness, but setting up that inquiry was the right thing to do, and I commend the work of Lord Saville and his team. Having been established, the inquiry must run its course if it is to be fair to individuals and if the truth is to emerge. We will, of course, take all reasonable steps to control costs in the inquiries that I have announced today, including capping legal costs where appropriate. We will ensure that the inquiries have the maximum powers, as well as aiming for better, quicker inquiries. Even so, these inquiries will inevitably mean the commitment of significant resources. The Government recognise people's desire to see public funds spent on delivering better public services and effective policing. I recognise public concern about further expenditure on inquiries into the past".
	Since the establishment of the Robert Hamill, Billy Wright and Rosemary Nelson inquiries, the Government have worked with the inquiries to put in place a number of measures to ensure that, while they have the resources necessary to fulfil their task, costs are kept to a reasonable level. The specific steps that have been taken are as follows:
	agreeing a management statement that includes a financial memorandum with the inquiries. The management statement sets out the broad framework under which any public funds are paid to the inquiries including the conditions under which public funds are paid and how the inquiry accounts for its expenditure. My officials hold regular formal meetings with the Robert Hamill, Billy Wright and Rosemary Nelson inquiries to discuss their financial forecasts under the terms of these documents;
	letting the inquiries make use of the Northern Ireland Office procurement division and have access to other procurement expertise in order to ensure that value for money is secured;
	setting maximum hourly fees levels for publicly funded counsel and solicitors;
	introducing a general 40 hour weekly cap on fees;
	ensuring representation by counsel is limited only to interested parties or key witnesses whose evidence is in dispute;
	making sure the scope of the legal work that may be undertaken at the public expense is circumscribed by the respective inquiry costs protocol and that all bills in respect of publicly funded legal assistance are subject to monthly scrutiny by the inquiry solicitor who is required to authorise disbursements in excess of £100.
	The chairmen of the Billy Wright Inquiry and the Robert Hamill Inquiry separately asked me to convert their statutory basis for their inquiries to the Inquiries Act 2005 under section 15 of that Act. One consequence of my decision to grant their request for conversion is that the framework for the award by the chairman of costs in relation to legal representation set out in section 40 of that Act applies. I know that both chairmen take seriously their responsibilities in this regard, and the provision in section 17(3) of the Act that:
	In making any decision as to the procedure or conduct of an inquiry, the chairman must act with fairness and with regard also to the need to avoid any unnecessary cost (whether to public funds or to witnesses or others).
	In respect of the Billy Wright Inquiry I exercised my power on 25 October 2006 to make a notice of determination under section 40(4) of the Act and notified the House by means of a written statement,  Official Report, columns 89-91WS.
	I plan to make a notice of determination in respect of the Robert Hamill Inquiry in due course.

Roads: Limavady

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many injury collisions occurred on the Ballyquin Road, Limavady between January 2006 and January 2007; and whether any further safety works are being considered for the road.

Paul Goggins: PSNI have advised that a total of seven injury collisions occurred between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2006(1) on the Ballyquin Road between Greystone Road and Main Street Dungiven. The following figures detail the severity of the collision and the number of people injured. These figures do not include collisions at the junctions with Greystone Road and Main Street. Statistics for January 2007 have not been provided as all the information for that period has not yet been processed.
	(1 )2006 figures are provisional and subject to change.
	 Source: Central Statistics Unit, Police Service of Northern Ireland, Lisnasharragh.
	
		
			   Number of collisions 
			 Fatal 0 
			 Serious 5 
			 Slight 2 
			 Total 7 
		
	
	
		
			   Number of casualties 
			 Killed 0 
			 Serious 6 
			 Slight 10 
			 Total 16 
		
	
	Road safety works are now the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Administration.

SCOTLAND

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was received by the Department from the letting of its properties in each of the last five years.

David Cairns: The amount of money received by the Scotland Office from letting space in its properties was as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2002-03 128,806 
			 2003-04 117,819 
			 2004-05 195,389 
			 2005-06 237,797 
			 2006-07 394,683

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost of leasing buildings and office space for his Department was in each of the last five years.

David Cairns: The cost to the Scotland Office of leasing buildings and office space was as follows:
	
		
			   Cost (£) 
			 2002-03 517,495 
			 2003-04 492,512 
			 2004-05 177,155 
			 2005-06 182,704 
			 2006-07 224,301 
		
	
	Where the Scotland Office rents office space within another Department's building, the Office pays an agreed share of the overall running costs of the building, which includes such items as rent, rates, utilities, cleaning and security; a separate record is not held of the rental element of these costs. These figures do not take into account any space occupied by other Departments.

Departments: Recruitment

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department paid to recruitment consultants in each year since 1997.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999 and since that date has incurred no costs on recruitment consultants.

Departments: Travel Agents

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department and its agencies paid in travel agencies' fees in each year since 1997.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. The Office is charged a fee per booking but does not separately record this figure.

WALES

Departments: Carbon Emissions

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what methodology is used by his Department to account for its carbon emissions.

Peter Hain: The Carbon Trust completed an audit of the Wales Office energy and water usage in May 2006, using total expenditure on utilities to calculate the volume of emissions for the year.
	For travel by air and road our carbon emissions were calculated using Pure, the clean planet trust calculator available on their website.

Departments: Official Cars

Si�n Simon: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what make and model of car  (a) he and  (b) each Minister in his Department selected as their official ministerial car; and what criteria were used when making the decision in each case.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office has a Toyota Prius in London and another in Cardiff for ministerial use.
	These cars were chosen as they have low carbon emissions.

Departments: Official Residences

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the official ministerial residences allocated to Ministers in his Department; and what the total annual cost is of running each.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office does not have any official ministerial residences.

Floods

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister on flood defences.

Peter Hain: Around 170,000 properties in Wales are at risk from flooding. Flood and coastal risk management is a devolved function. I understand that current policy in Wales is to reduce flood and coastal erosion risk to people, property and natural environment by encouraging the provision of defences and flood warnings, and discouraging inappropriate development in areas at risk. I also understand that Welsh Ministers are currently implementing new flood risk management arrangements to enable improved responses to the increased risk presented by climate change.
	Work carried out by the Environment Agency and Welsh local authorities to manage these risks is supported financially by the Welsh Assembly Government, who have increased their funding for flood and coastal defence this year to over 30 million.

Prince Charles

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the First Minister of the Welsh Assembly Government on celebrations for the 50(th) anniversary of Prince Charles' investiture as Prince of Wales;
	(2)  what public funds his Department plans to make available for celebrations to mark the 50(th) anniversary of Prince Charles' investiture as Prince of Wales;
	(3)  what celebrations his Department is planning for the 50(th) anniversary of Prince Charles' investiture as Prince of Wales.

Peter Hain: 2019 will mark the 50(th) anniversary. No decisions have been taken as yet.

Railways: Standards

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent  (a) discussions he has had with and  (b) representations he has made to (i) First Great Western trains and (ii) Network Rail on train service performance between South Wales and London Paddington.

Peter Hain: My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State and I take a close interest in the performance of train services between London and South Wales, and have met the service providers to discuss issues affecting passengers in Wales. Following recent suggestions that some of the services might be terminated at Port Talbot I spoke to the Managing Director of First Great Western, who assured me that this would happen only in the most extreme circumstances. I also welcomed Network Rail's announcement that it planned to hold a full investigation into the overrunning engineering works that disrupted these services.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departments: Official Residences

Theresa May: To ask the Leader of the House if he will list the official ministerial residences allocated to him and his deputy; and what the total annual cost is of running each.

Jack Straw: None.

EC Law

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Leader of the House if he will bring forward plans to improve scrutiny of EU legislation.

Jack Straw: As I have indicated in response to earlier questions, most recently to the hon. Lady on 26 April 2007,  Official Report, column 1203W, discussions have been taking place on this issue following the report from the Modernisation Select Committee in 2005. These discussions are continuing.

TRANSPORT

Bridges: Tolls

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which bridges in the UK charge tolls to traffic; and what tolls are charged in each case to  (a) cars,  (b) heavy goods vehicles and  (c) buses.

Stephen Ladyman: The information requested is available on the Department for Transport's website:
	http://www.dft.gv.uk/pgr/roads/roadpricingstu/guidancenote/.
	The website is currently being updated and the revised information will be available on Thursday, 14 June. Copies of the new information will be placed in the House Libraries on that date.

British Transport Police

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 24 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1415W, to the hon. Member for Swansea, East (Mrs. James) on the British Transport Police, if he will consider the merits of compiling statistics on the number of  (a) police officers and  (b) police community support officers employed by British Transport Police.

Tom Harris: This information is held by the British Transport Police and is available from the force on request.

Cycling: Highway Code

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department has held with cycling organisations since the publication of the latest version of the Highway Code.

Stephen Ladyman: Ministers and officials of the Department for Transport regularly meet and discuss various issues informally with a number of cycling organisations. There have been many such discussions since the current version of the Highway Code was first published in 1999.
	Since the proposed revisions to the Highway Code were laid before Parliament on 28 March, DfT officials met representatives of CTC to discuss their concerns about certain cycling rules within the Code on 9 May. There have also been discussions by telephone and e-mail between DfT officials and CTC representatives on this issue.

Driving: Mobile Phones

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to deter drivers from using mobile phones when driving.

Stephen Ladyman: The Road Safety Act 2006 increased the penalty for using a hand-held mobile phone while driving to three penalty points and discretionary disqualification on top of the existing fine of up to 1,000 (2,500 in the case of the driver of a goods vehicle or a bus/coach). If a fixed penalty is accepted the penalty is three points and a 60 fine. The new penalty came into effect on 27 February 2007. If the police see poor driving and find a driver distracted by a call on a hands-free mobile phone, then they can prosecute the offence of not being in a position to have proper control of a vehicle. The same penalties apply. The police have stepped up their enforcement of these offences.
	In addition, extensive publicity is being run as part of the Department's THINK! road safety campaign. The campaign to publicise the higher penalty was launched in January 2007, using a mix of television, press, radio and online advertising and which included a TV advertisement which features a new message aimed at those who call people who are driving.

Galileo Project

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on  (a) military and  (b) civilian applications of the Galileo Satellite Navigation System.

Stephen Ladyman: Galileo has been defined and agreed as a civil system since the project's inception. While Galileo's open service, like that of GPS, can be accessed by all and therefore could be used by military forces, Galileo remains a civil programme under civil control. This has repeatedly been confirmed by the EU Transport Council; most recently in its October 2006 Council Conclusions.

Great Western Trains: Standards

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with First Great Western on improving performance.

Tom Harris: Ministers last met First Great Western and Network Rail to discuss performance on 24 May 2007. The meeting on 24 May was specifically held to discuss FGW performance in the light of performance of FGW and Network Rail against their respective targets in the joint performance improvement plan (JPIP).

Lorries

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to  (a) receive and  (b) publish his response to the desk study report by Heriot Watt University and the Transport Research Laboratory on longer heavier vehicles.

Stephen Ladyman: I expect to receive the report by October and it should be published in due course. I have no plans to publish a response but will consider the issues carefully.

M60: Road Signs and Markings

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the vehicles of Highways Agency staff on the M60 were provided with matrix signals to instruct traffic; and when they will be authorised to use them.

Stephen Ladyman: Variable message panels were fitted as standard to Traffic Officer Service vehicles prior to patrols starting on the M60 in January 2006. They are already authorised to display some messages to instruct traffic.

M60: Road Signs and Markings

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when Highways Agency traffic officers will be able to use the scrolling arrows provided in their vehicles to direct traffic on the M60.

Stephen Ladyman: The Highways Agency carefully considered the use of scrolling arrows as one of the legends which can be displayed on the variable message panel fitted to the Traffic Officer vehicles. The agency has decided that it is inappropriate to use scrolling arrows at this time. This decision will be kept under review as the Traffic Officer Service develops.

M60: Road Signs and Markings

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport under what  (a) section of the Highways Act and  (b) associated regulations police officers on the M60 use the scrolling arrow traffic signs in their vehicles to direct traffic.

Stephen Ladyman: The use of light emitting devices is regulated under the Road Traffic Act 1988 by the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989. Regulation 13 of these regulations permits vehicles used for police purposes to be fitted with a lamp or illuminated sign that emits a flashing light. Scrolling arrow traffic signs are considered to emit a flashing light.

Ministers: Official Cars

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the policy of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is on the vehicle excise duty bands of Ministerial cars; and into which bands cars presently allocated to Ministers fall.

Stephen Ladyman: The Prime Ministers guidance, Travel by Ministers and the Ministerial Code, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House, sets out which cars may be provided by the Government Car and Despatch Agency for official ministerial use.
	The cars available to Ministers and their vehicle excise duty bands are detailed in the following table.
	
		
			  Make/model  VED band 
			 Rover 75 Connoisseur F 
			 Mondeo Zetec F 
			 Jaguar XJ TDVi Executive F 
			 Toyota Prius T3 B 
			 Vectra Design CDTi F 
			 Honda Civic ES hybrid B 
			 Mondeo Zetec TDCi F 
			 Vauxhall Omega Elite F

Motorcycles

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many off-road leisure facilities are available for the use of mini moto users for recreational purposes.

Richard Caborn: I have been asked to reply.
	It is impossible to quantify the number of off-road leisure facilities available for use by mini-bikes in the UK. Anecdotal evidence indicates that a number of commercial kart tracks (there are around 100 such tracks in the UK) are offering their facilities for such use. However safety concerns mean the Auto-Cycle Union (ACU)the national governing body for motorcycle sportwill not licence such tracks and therefore ascertaining how many offer such services is simply not possible.

Motorways: Road Traffic Control

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on progress on the roll-out of hard shoulder running.

Stephen Ladyman: The M42 Active Traffic Management pilot project, including hard shoulder running, became fully operational in September 2006. The Highways Agency is currently evaluating the performance of the pilot project and, while it is too early to draw definite conclusions, the initial results are encouraging. I expect to receive an evaluation of the pilot project from the Highways Agency later this year. The agency is continuing its thorough review of the network to identify potential locations that might benefit.

Motorways: Walls and Fences

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what  (a) estimate he has made of the cost and  (b) assessment he has made of the effectiveness of (i) galvanised metal central reservation barriers and (ii) concrete barriers made of concrete in use on motorways; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The Highways Agency commissioned TRL (formerly the Transport Research Laboratory) in 2004 to examine the cost effectiveness and performance of central reservation barriers installed on major roads in Great Britain.
	Typical installation costs for a metre of Double Sided Tensioned Corrugated Beam barrier (galvanised metal) and Vertical Concrete Barrier were 33 and 155 respectively. Over a 50 year period the whole life costs of concrete barriers were estimated to be about 15 per cent. to 20 per cent. lower than metal barriers.
	The accident statistics examined in the study showed that the number of serious casualties per kilometre is comparable between metal and concrete barriers, but there was a lower rate of slight casualties and accidents where concrete barriers were installed. No fatal casualties have resulted from an impact with a concrete barrier.

Railways: Eastbourne

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost is of an  (a) peak and  (b) off peak (i) daily, (ii) return, (iii) weekly, (iv) monthly and (v) yearly ticket for an adult travelling between Eastbourne and London stations.

Tom Harris: The standard class peak day return is priced 39.80, the off peak at 20.60. The Pricebuster off peak day return to London Victoria is 13. Season tickets cost 81 for seven days, the monthly fare is 311.10 and the rate for an annual ticket is 3,240.

Railways: Freight

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to develop a national policy framework for railfreight interchanges.

Tom Harris: The Government are currently consulting on the proposals in the White Paper Planning for a Sustainable Future for a new planning regime for nationally significant infrastructure, within which Government would set out clear strategic objectives in the form of National Policy Statements (NPS). We have yet to decide on the scope of NPS for Transport, including the extent to which they might deal with railfreight infrastructure, under the proposed new regime.

Railways: Gravesham

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans there are to increase capacity on commuter trains between Gravesham and London measured by  (a) new carriages and  (b) passenger numbers.

Tom Harris: The Government will detail the outputs they wish to purchase from the railway for the period 2009-2014 in the high level output specification to be published in July. No further information is available before then.

Railways: Offensive Weapons

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passengers have been found carrying offensive weapons on trains between Gravesham and London in each of the last five years.

Tom Harris: This information is not held by the Department for Transport but by the British Transport Police who can be contacted at: British Transport Police, 25 Camden Road, London NW1 9LN, E-mail:
	general.enquiries@btp.pnn.police.uk.

Road Traffic: Wellingborough

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will visit Wellingborough to discuss traffic movements with local residents.

Gillian Merron: There are currently no plans for Ministers to visit Wellingborough to discuss traffic movements with local residents.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many cost increases he approved for road schemes in the Highways Agency targeted programme of improvements in each year since 1998.

Stephen Ladyman: Details of Highways Agency major road schemes that have had cost increases approved between 2000 and July 2006 are available in Appendix Two of the National Audit Office reportDepartment for Transport: Estimating and Monitoring the Costs of Building Roads in Englandpublished on 15 March 2007. A copy of the report can be downloaded from the following website link:
	http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao_reports/06-07/0607321.pdf
	Since July 2006, we have also approved cost increases on the following major road schemes:
	A2 BeanCobham widening Phase 2
	A2/A282 Dartford improvement
	M25 J1b-3
	A14 Haughley New Street to Stowmarket improvement
	A3 Hindhead improvement
	A38 Dobwall bypass
	A595 Parton to Lillyhall improvement
	A46 Newark to Widmerpool
	A1 Dishforth to Barton
	A1 Bramham to Wetherby (including Wetherby bypass)
	A66 Long Newton GSJ
	A69 Haydon Bridge bypass
	A14 Ellington to Fen Ditton
	A57/A628 MottramHollingworthTintwhistle
	M1 J10-13
	A5M1 Link (Dunstable Northern bypass)
	A27 Southerham to Beddingham improvement
	M25 J28/A12 Brook Street interchange.

South Hampshire Rail Group

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to reply to the submission made by the South Hampshire Rail Group on the franchise operated by South West Trains; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The group sent a submission to the Department which was received on 22 May 2007. It is now being considered and I expect a reply to be sent shortly.

South West Trains: Surveys

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will commission a study of the views of passengers carried by South West Trains which seeks their views on  (a) comfort,  (b) punctuality,  (c) ease of purchasing tickets and  (d) value for money; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The National Passenger Survey reported by Passenger Focus provides a network-wide picture of customers' satisfaction with rail travel. Passengers opinions are collected twice a year from a representative sample of passenger journeys. It is for train operators rather than Government to decide whether there is a need for more detailed surveys of their own passengers.

Tolls

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate the Government have made of the minimum daily charge by local authority road pricing schemes required significantly to alter driver behaviour.

Stephen Ladyman: We have made no such estimate. It is up to interested local authorities to propose local schemes as local solutions to local problems.
	The Secretary of State announced in a written ministerial statement on 8 February 2007,  Official Report, column 47WS, the publication of guidance for local authorities interested in developing business cases for funding from the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) for local schemes to tackle congestion. The road pricing section of this guidance sets out the Government's position on these points.

Tolls

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what impact he expects EC Directive 2004/52 on the interoperability of electronic toll collection systems to have on the  (a) choice and  (b) implementation of local authority road pricing systems;
	(2)  what provisions he plans to make for the transfer of electronic on-board units fitted to vehicles using local authority road pricing schemes, in the event that the user changes their vehicle; and who will be responsible for the costs incurred thereby;
	(3)  what provision will be made for the issuing of single invoices where drivers and operators register with multiple road pricing schemes; and what arrangements will be made for the sharing of data between authorities to enable this to happen.

Stephen Ladyman: On 8 February 2007 the Secretary of State announced in a written ministerial statement,  Official Report, column 47WS, the publication of guidance for local authorities interested in developing business cases for funding from the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) for local schemes to tackle congestion. The road pricing section of this guidance sets out the Government's position on this point.

Traffic Commissioners: Licensing

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what powers the traffic commissioners have to grant vehicle operator licences; and whether these powers have been delegated to other officials.

Stephen Ladyman: Traffic Commissioners have powers under the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981 and the Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Act 1995, to grant and take disciplinary action against operator licences for public service vehicles and large goods vehicles.
	For many years, Traffic Commissioners have delegated responsibility for issuing licences, in cases where the application is straightforward and it is clear that the eligibility criteria are met, to administrative staff employed by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency.

Trains: Bicycles

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received on the provision for cycles on trains operated by South West Trains.

Tom Harris: The Department has received several hundred letters about the integration of cycling and rail. Of those a small number refer specifically to issues on South West Trains.

Trains: Bicycles

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what specifications to franchises he is able to make regarding provision for cycles on trains.

Tom Harris: Bidders for the South Western franchise were asked to consider cycle-rail integration matters in their bid submissions as are the three current franchises that are out to tender; East Midlands, West Midlands and New Cross Country are also being asked. The Intercity East Coast franchise replacement specification will also require bidders to consider bike-rail integration and facilities at stations.

Vehicle Number Plates: Theft

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will issue guidance to car vendors requesting that they advise people of the availability of anti-theft number plates when cars are sold.

Stephen Ladyman: When the tamper resistant plate initiative was launched after the first manufacturer passed the standard in 2006, DVLA provided publicity material for the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMIF) to distribute to all their members. A second manufacturer has now passed the test and further publicity is planned.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departments: Carbon Emissions

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what methodology is used by his Department to account for its carbon emissions.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development is strongly committed to the new set of sustainable operation targets launched in June 2006, including the specific commitments on reducing carbon emissions. DFID calculates all carbon emissions from buildings and travel from guidance and conversion factors supplied to us by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Departments: Travel Agents

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department and its agencies paid in travel agencies' fees in each year since 1997.

Gareth Thomas: Specific data for agency commission for the central travel contract for the Department for International Development is only available from 2003-04 as follows:
	
		
			  000 
			 2003-04 150 
			 2004-05 150 
			 2005-06 150 
			 2006-07 150 
		
	
	Between 1997 and 2003 the management charges were calculated on the basis of a combination of volume and savings incentives, but central records do not exist of the total fees paid during this period, and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

Guinea-Bissau: International Assistance

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what  (a) bilateral and  (b) multilateral aid projects are being undertaken with UK funding in Guinea-Bissau.

Hilary Benn: The UK does not have a bilateral development assistance programme with Guinea-Bissau, though we have recently supported the Government to develop a security sector reform framework, and an NGO to conduct a demining assessment.
	The UK's imputed share of multilateral agency development assistance to Guinea-Bissau was 2.517 million in 2005 (based on the UK's total funding for each multilateral and that multilateral's distribution of official development assistance and official aid each year). Agencies normally pool donor funding, so no breakdown of UK spending against individual projects is available.

Overseas Aid

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much UK aid was given to  (a) Guinea-Bissau,  (b) Guinea,  (c) Sierra Leone,  (d) Liberia,  (e) Mali,  (f) Mauritania and  (g) Senegal in (i) 2005 and (ii) 2004.

Hilary Benn: The figures are set out in the following tables:
	
		
			  UK Bilateral Aid 
			  000 
			  Destination Name  2004  2005 
			 Guinea 1,738 811 
			 Guinea-Bissau   
			 Liberia 8981 4150 
			 Mali 200 716 
			 Mauritania 281  
			 Senegal 4,984 3,802 
			 Sierra Leone 3,3254 31,159 
		
	
	
		
			  Imputed UK Share of Multilateral Net ODA/OA by institution for 2004 and 2005: 
			  000 
			  Country  EC  UN  World Bank  Other Multilateral  Total 
			  2004  
			 Guinea 2,602 1,030 850 169 4,650 
			 Guinea-Bissau 978 313 606 152 2,048 
			 Liberia 2,102 503 - 182 2,787 
			 Mali 8,088 840 1,653 2,552 13,133 
			 Mauritania 3,330 372 985 456 5,143 
			 Senegal 4,079 624 3,930 3,949 12,583 
			 Sierra Leone 4,477 1,257 927 2,459 9,120 
			   
			  2005  
			 Guinea 1,062 1,097 2,089 -117 4,131 
			 Guinea-Bissau 1,135 384 944 54 2,517 
			 Liberia 3,699 1,248 - 375 5,322 
			 Mali 9,106 759 8,085 871 18,821 
			 Mauritania 1,033 580 3,195 -53 4,755 
			 Senegal 2,288 749 12,551 991 16,578 
			 Sierra Leone 5,978 1,328 3,785 644 11,736 
		
	
	UK funding to multilateral institutions cannot be directly attributed to any country; the estimates above are imputed shares based on the UK's total funding for each institution, and that institution's distribution of official development assistance (ODA) and official aid each year.
	ODA is defined as flows administered with the promotion of economic development and welfare of developing countries as their main objective, that are concessional in character and convey a grant element of at least 25 per cent. Aid to countries on Part 1 of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) list of aid recipients is eligible to be recorded as ODA. Official aid (OA) has the same concessional and qualitative features as ODA but covers aid to countries on Part 2 of the DAC list of recipients. (Note: From 2005 Part 2 of the DAC list of recipients ceased to exist and aid to countries on a new combined list of DAC list of recipients of official development assistance is eligible to be recorded as ODA).
	The list of multilateral organisations used to produce this table is not exhaustive; only multilaterals who provide the DAC with detailed information about their distribution of funds, and to whom the UK provided funds, were analysed in the production of this table.
	Negatives represent accounting adjustments, not a net flow to the UK; zero figures are indicated with a dash.

Overseas Aid: Energy

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether any of the funding provided by his Department to the World Bank in each of the last three years was allocated to the energy sector.

Hilary Benn: The World Bank's fiscal year runs from 1 July to 30 June each year. For fiscal year 2004 (starting 1 July 2003) the Bank lent $1.05 billion for energy projects. This amount increased to $1.9 billion in fiscal year 2005 and $3.1 billion in fiscal year 2006. Figures are not yet available for Fiscal Year 2007.
	The UK has provided 1.65 billion in core contributions to the World Bank's International Development Association since 1 April 2003. Annual payments from the UK and other bank shareholders are just one source of finance drawn upon by the bank to provide loans and credits to developing countries. Therefore, it is not possible to say precisely what proportion of the UK's contribution was spent on energy programmes, but it is highly likely that some of it was allocated to the energy sector.
	At the Gleneagles summit in 2005, the UK secured G8 agreement that the World Bank should lead on establishing a new clean energy investment framework (CEIF) that would operate across the international financing system. The aim of this framework is to accelerate and catalyse public and private sector investments in cleaner energy in developing countries.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Palace of Westminster: Smoking

Dai Davies: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission whether legislation covering smoking in public places will be applied to the Palace of Westminster and all its outbuildings within the Parliamentary estate.

Nick Harvey: As I said in my reply to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Doran) on 20 March 2007,  Official Report, column 757W:
	The Health Act 2006 introduces a ban on smoking in workplaces and enclosed or substantially enclosed public places from 1 July 2007. While the Act does not formally apply on the parliamentary estate, the Commission, on the advice of the Administration Committee, has decided that the House should comply with the principles of the legislation, as it is not desirable that those who work on or visit the parliamentary estate should be treated differently in this respect than in other workplaces and public places. The Commission recognises, however, that many who work on the estate are unavoidably present for long periods, particularly when the House is sitting. It is therefore desirable to make reasonable provision for those who wish to smoke to do so, provided that the health and safety of other users of the estate is not adversely affected.
	With these principles in mind, the Commission has decided that smoking should cease to be permitted from 1 July 2007 in all internal areas of the House of Commons estate, including in bars and private offices. From that date smoking will, however, be permitted in four designated external areas: the Terrace, Commons Court (North West corner), North Terrace (between Portcullis House and Norman Shaw South), and in a designated area on the west side of Canon Row courtyard. Cigarette receptacles will be provided in these areas. No Smoking signs will be displayed at entrances to the buildings. I understand that the House of Lords Administration and Works Committee will report its recommendations shortly on the smoking policy for the Lords part of the Parliamentary Estate.
	I understand that the House of Lords agreed to the recommended policy on Wednesday 9 May.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Departments: Buildings

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Solicitor-General what the  (a) rental and  (b) other accommodation costs were for premises occupied by the (i) Northern Ireland Legal Services Commission and (ii) Public Prosecutions Service in 2006-07.

Mike O'Brien: The costs for the Public Prosecution Service for the year in question were as follows:
	
		
			
			 Rent 1,917,014 
			 Rates 412,029 
			 Shared Charges 275,282 
			 Electricity 151,228 
		
	
	I am informed by the Ministry of Justice that the rental and other accommodation costs for premises occupied by the Northern Ireland Legal Services Commission since its establishment are set out in the following table.
	
		
			   
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			  Premises Rental 114 250 251 272 
			  
			  Other Accommodation Costs: 147 245 251 265 
			 Cleaning 11 27 30 30 
			 Other Building Costs 31 11 8 23 
			 Service Charges 43 63 61 97 
			 Electricity 15 27 29 32 
			 Rates 47 117 123 83 
			  
			  Other 
			 Telephone Costs 8 26 19 23 
			 Insurance 10 23 8 3 
			 Equipment and furniture 11 7 6 11 
			 Rental and maintenance of equipment 0 2 21 23 
			 Total 290 553 556 596

Departments: Buildings

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Solicitor-General what the  (a) rental and  (b) other accommodation costs were for premises occupied by the (i) Department of the Director of Public Prosecutions and (ii) Police Central Process Offices in the last five financial years.

Mike O'Brien: The rental and other accommodation costs for the Department of the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland and then the Public Prosecution Service over the last five years are as follows:
	
		
			   
			  2006-07  
			 Rent 1,917,014 
			 Rates 412,029 
			 Shared Charges 275,282 
			 Electricity 151,228 
			   
			  2005-06  
			 Rent 1,463,368 
			 Rates 391,098 
			 Shared Charges 235,579 
			 Electricity 126,702 
			   
			  2004-05  
			 Rent 1,084,031 
			 Rates 379,165 
			 Shared Charges 207,140 
			 Electricity 101,604 
			   
			  2003-04  
			 Rent 891,946 
			 Rates 355904 
			 Shared Charges 324,371 
			 Electricity 74,351 
			   
			  2002-03  
			 Rent 467,344 
			 Rates 184,835 
			 Shared Charges 314,830 
			 Electricity 31,174 
		
	
	I am informed that as the Police Central Process Office (CPO) use accommodation within the existing Police Estate, the use of this incurs no direct rental or accommodation costs to the CPO and no figures are available.

Scott Inquiry

David Lidington: To ask the Solicitor-General pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1443W, if he will make a further statement on the progress made in the inquiry by Peter Scott QC into the criticisms of the Northern Ireland Office made by Mr. Justice Girvan.

Mike O'Brien: I refer also to the answer given on 13 March 2007,  Official Report, column 177W, on the progress of the review being conducted by Mr Scott.
	Since then, Mr. Scott has had meetings with a total of eight witnesses, three in Belfast at the end of March and five in London at the beginning of May. He has made further enquiries of other witnesses in the light of those meetings, most of whom have now responded. Mr. Scott expects to be in a position to submit his report to the Attorney-General in due course.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Anniversaries: Prince Charles

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the First Minister of the Welsh Assembly Government on celebrations for the 50th Anniversary of Prince Charles' investiture as Prince of Wales.

David Lammy: There have been no such discussions.

Anniversaries: Prince Charles

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what celebrations her Department has planned for the 50th Anniversary of Prince Charles' investiture as Prince of Wales.

David Lammy: No such celebrations have been planned at this stage.

Anniversaries: Prince Charles

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what public funds her Department plans to make available for celebrations to mark the 50th Anniversary of Prince Charles' investiture as Prince of Wales.

David Lammy: No such funds have been earmarked at this stage.

Art Works

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many of the recommendations of the Goodison report for which her Department has responsibility have been implemented; and what plans she has to implement further such recommendations.

David Lammy: The Goodison report made 45 recommendations and 29 have already been addressed by a range of different bodies, including my Department. We are continuing to explore ways in which elements of the other proposals might be implemented to best effect.

Art Works

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions her Department has had with the Treasury on implementing the recommendations of the Goodison review.

David Lammy: My Department had a number of discussions with the Treasury following publication of the Goodison report and discussions are ongoing on a wide range of related issues concerning the cultural sector.

Arts Council

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which projects were cancelled by the Arts Council in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: There are seven large projects which have been cancelled by the Arts Council in the past five years:
	
		
			  Project description  Date cancelled 
			 A development fund project to build capacity within the British Chinese community. February 2002 
			 A feasibility study and development study for a touring agency to explore the creation of six centres in areas of the eastern region with sizeable Black, Asian and Chinese communities. December 2004 
			 A project to create a centre of excellence for African dance in London. March 2005 
			 A project to purchase a mobile cinema, with 100-seat capacity and equipped with 35mm and video projection and digital sound. March 2005 
			 A project to create a centre for Black theatre by leasing and fitting-out a 300-seat theatre. June 2005 
			 A flagship regional media production centre project, predominantly for Black, Asian and Chinese artistic work, from Slough borough council. June 2005 
			 A project to set up a new community music centre incorporating recording studios, workshop, office and storage spaces. October 2006 
		
	
	Information on further cancelled projects could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Arts: Charitable Donations

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps have been taken to make arts institutions aware of the tax incentives available to private donors.

David Lammy: Arts and Business, funded by my Department through Arts Council England, has promoted the tax incentives available to private donors through training for arts institutions and through their 2006 'Individual Giving Manual' publication. My Department is also working with Arts and Business on a tax guide for arts institutions, which will include updated information following the changes announced in the last budget.

Big Lottery Fund

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much and what percentage of the Big Lottery Fund's grants have been made to charities registered with the Charity Commission in each of the last three years.

Richard Caborn: The following figures reflect how much and what percentage of the Big Lottery Fund's grants have been made to charities registered with the Charity Commission in each of the last three years. These figures do not include Awards for All.
	
		
			  Year ending  Registered ()  All awards ()  Percentage 
			 31 March 2005 173,244,887 687,534,837 25.2 
			 31 March 2006 292,283,816 461,070,289 63.4 
			 31 March 2007 168,369,682 307,428,658 54.8 
		
	
	The Big Lottery Fund has undertaken that 60-70 per cent. of its funding will go to the voluntary and community sector. They will report on progress towards this undertaking annually.

Channel 4 Television

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what recent assessment her Department has made of the merits of different forms of  (a) ownership and  (b) funding of Channel 4;
	(2)  what her policy is on the  (a) ownership and  (b) funding of Channel 4.

Shaun Woodward: DCMS has made no recent assessment of the merits of different forms of ownership of Channel 4. The Government believe Channel 4 plays a key role as a publicly owned broadcaster providing a distinctive contribution to public service broadcasting. The Government recognise Channel 4 is likely to face financial pressures in the future that may have implications for its ability to deliver fully its public service remit. We therefore welcome Ofcom's current review of Channel 4's financial prospects and will take a close interest in the outcome. In the meantime, we are considering the possible case for short term forms of assistance to Channel 4.

Departments: Official Residences

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the official ministerial residences allocated to Ministers in her Department; and what the total annual cost is of running each.

David Lammy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not allocate official residences to its Ministers.

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was raised from the sale of departmental property in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: The Department has received income from the sale of Departmental land and buildings as follows:
	
		
			
			 2002-03  
			 2003-04 232,000 
			 2004-05 126,000 
			 2005-06 2,500,000 
			 2006-07 470,000

Departments: Publications

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much her Department's 2007 annual report cost to produce.

David Lammy: The DCMS annual report cost 20,628 to design, typeset and print.

Digital Broadcasting: Equipment

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the cost to individuals in Westmorland and Lonsdale arising from the need to purchase new equipment to enable them to receive the full range of television stations after switchover to digital in 2008.

Shaun Woodward: On 8 November 2005, Ofcom published research by the Generics Group which examined the cost and power consumption implications of digital switchover for UK households. The report estimates that for those households that incur a cost as a result of switchover, the actual cost will depend on the equipment requiring conversion and the level of voluntary conversion carried out before switchover. Typical non-voluntary costs for TV and recorders in households containing an average collection of reception equipment are therefore estimated to range from 26 to 153.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the timescale is for the publication of the revised Memorandum of Understanding between the Government and the Mayor of London on the new funding arrangements and share of future land sales relating to the 2012 Olympic Games.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 7 June 2007
	The revision of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government and the Mayor of London is in progress. It will be published as soon as possible, following its agreement.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the process is by which the locations of pre-games training camps for the London 2012 Olympics will be selected; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has set up a process to identify suitable facilities across the UK for inclusion in the pre-Games Training Camp Guide, which will be provided to all National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) to aid them in identifying appropriate venues and sites for their training camps. The deadline for facilities to register themselves for inclusion in the Guide was 31 January 2007.
	With over 700 applications received, there has been a tremendous level of interest from potential facilities around the UK. The process now is to assess the applications to identify which ones meet the stringent criteria for inclusion in the guide. Initial collation of information was carried out by the Nations and Regions Group and LOCOG are now carrying out an assessment and selection process. The London 2012 Organising Committee have created a steering group to oversee the process which includes experts on training camps from the British Olympic Association, British Paralympic Association and other UK sporting bodies.
	Facilities will be notified of their inclusion in the pre-Games Training Camp Guide at the beginning of 2008. The guide will be published at the Beijing games in the summer of 2008.

Sports: Finance

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether she plans to transfer responsibility and funding of high performance programmes in non-Olympic sports from Sport England to UK Sport.

Richard Caborn: While the Government keep under review the roles and responsibilities of the public agencies for sport, there are no immediate plans to transfer responsibility and funding of high performance programmes in non-Olympic sports from Sport England to UK Sport.

Sports: Finance

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding has been awarded by Sport England for high performance programmes in non-Olympic sports in each of the last three years, broken down by sport.

Richard Caborn: Prior to April 2005, national governing bodies were awarded funding by Sport England specifically to support their World Class Performance programmes. The following awards were made to non-Olympic sports for the period April 2004 to March 2005:
	
		
			  Sport  Funding awarded () 
			 England and Wales Cricket Board 2,000,000 
			 English Golf Union 450,000 
			 English Ladies' Golf Association 513,000 
			 English Karate Governing Body 531,905 
			 England Netball 1,529,430 
			 British Orienteering Federation 304,000 
			 Rugby Football League 1,500,000 
			 Rugby Football Union 1,000,000 
			 Rugby Football Union for Women 1,397,671 
			 England Squash 772,800 
			 British Water Ski 176,589 
		
	
	Since April 2005, Sport England has awarded funding to non-Olympic sports to support the delivery of their four-year strategic plans and has not ring-fenced funding for high performance programmes within the overall allocation per sport per plan. National governing bodies apply the funding they receive to deliver against a range of key performance indicators (KPIs). Sport England has said that it is not, therefore, possible to identify specific funding amounts for high performance programmes.
	The exceptions to this are the Football Association and the Lawn Tennis Association, neither of which has any elite-orientated KPIs and apply funding devolved to them through their whole sport plans solely to grassroots and development activities.

Sports: Public Participation

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment Sport England has made of the impact of high performance programmes in non-Olympic sports on mass participation rates.

Richard Caborn: Sport England has not carried out any specific research to explore the impact of high performance programmes in sports outside the Olympic movement on mass participation rates.

Sports: Rural Areas

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the likely effects of the establishment of sporting villages on the surrounding areas.

Richard Caborn: No formal assessment has been made of the likely effects of the establishment of community sports hubs (formerly known as sports villages) on the surrounding areas. Sport England is currently assessing the feasibility of the model. However I would expect these hubs to significantly improve community facilities and have a positive impact on regeneration in the areas where they are based.

Sports: Schools

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  if she will make it her policy to offer the Panathlon Challenge financial support;
	(2)  what representations she has received from  (a) hon. and right hon. Members,  (b) schools,  (c) teachers,  (d) parents and  (e) others on the funding position of the Panathlon Challenge in each of the last two years;
	(3)  what recent research she has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the effectiveness of the Panathlon Challenge in increasing the involvement of school children in competitive sport; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: No such research has been commissioned. The Government are committed to establishing a framework for competitive sport through the National School Sport Strategy, which includes a national network of Competition Managers who promote competitive sport; and the UK School Games, which is developing competitive sporting opportunities for young people between now and 2012.
	My Department has received one public petition on funding for the Panathlon Challenge and the following other representations:
	
		
			   2006  2007 
			 MP's 1 7 
			 Schools/teachers 10 0 
			 Parents 0 0 
			 Others 7 3 
		
	
	The Government have committed over 1.5 billion of funding to school sport in the five years to 2008, including over 800,000 from the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) for the Panathlon Challenge. DfES have no plans to commit further funding to the Panathlon Challenge.

Sports: Schools

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on her plans to expand competitive sport in schools.

Richard Caborn: Increasing the quality and amount of competitive school sport is at the heart of the work of all School Sport Partnerships.
	The 2005-06 School Sport Survey showed that:
	97 per cent. of schools held a competitive sports day,
	71 per cent. of pupils were involved in intra-school competition, and
	37 per cent. of pupils from years four to 11 were involved in inter-school competition, a rise of 12 per cent. on 2003-04.
	To support and further develop our work on competitive school sport, we are establishing a network of competition managers across School Sport Partnerships.
	The first wave of 20 competition managers were appointed from September 2005 and the recruitment of a second wave of 42 competition managers is almost complete. Between September 2006 and March 2007 there were over 150,000 attendances by young people at over 2,000 competitions organised by competition managers. A further wave of recruitment will begin later this year raising the total number of competition managers to at least 90 by the end of 2007.
	In addition, we have established the UK school games to help develop the content and structure of competitive sporting opportunities for young people between now and 2012.

Theatre: Disabled

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding will be made available for theatre groups working with disabled performers in 2008-2011 in  (a) London and  (b) England.

David Lammy: Arts Council England budget allocations for 2008-09 onwards have yet to be decided.

Theatre: Disabled

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding has been made available for theatre groups working with disabled performers for 2005-2007 in  (a) London and  (b) England.

David Lammy: Government funding for the arts is distributed, within broad guidelines, through Arts Council England. The following figures provide a breakdown of its funding to theatre organisations that include disability as an element or focus of their programming or activity.
	
		
			  Regular funded organisations 
			  000 
			   London  England 
			 2005-06 2,132 3,233 
			 2006-07 2,172 3,297 
		
	
	
		
			  Grants for the arts funding (April 2005 to September 2006 ) 
			  000 
			 London 1,117 
			 England 3,791 
		
	
	It has not been possible to provide figures for funding to organisations where disability is an inclusive or integrated part of their work.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the adequacy of supplies of ammunition to the grenade machine gun in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Although usage of ammunition for the Automatic Lightweight Grenade Launcher has been higher than initially anticipated, this issue has been successfully addressed through our Urgent Operational Requirement process. Supply has been increased to meet the requirement and in-theatre stocks of ammunition are currently assessed as adequate.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what most recent estimate he has made of planned troop numbers in Afghanistan for each of the next four years.

Des Browne: The situation in Afghanistan is liable to change over the forthcoming four years and our force package will adapt to the evolving situation, including the ability of the Afghan National Army to take greater responsibility for its own affairs.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many recorded casualties there were in categories  (a) T1,  (b) T2,  (c) T3 and  (d) T4 in (i) Afghanistan and (ii) Iraq in each month since January 2004.

Des Browne: Tl-4 are triage categories, used by in-theatre medical staffs to prioritise the treatment of casualties following an incident, Tl being most urgent. These categories are dynamic, based on a variety of physiological factors (e.g. pulse and breathing rate) and do not necessarily correspond to the severity of the injury sustained. For example, Tl may subsequently be categorised as very seriously injured (VSI), seriously injured (SI) or unlisted (UL) once they reach a field hospital. We do not record and verify data on triage levels centrally.
	The MOD is committed to openly publishing statistics on the number of service personnel injured on operations. Information on casualties and fatalities in Iraq and Afghanistan is published on the MOD website:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FactSheets/Operations Factsheets

Aircraft: Electronic Engineering

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what independent safety assessment his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on Kapton wiring; what assessment his Department has made of the implications for the UK fleet of the role of the performance of Kapton wiring in the September 1998 crash of Swissair flight 111 over Nova Scotia; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: At the time of the crash of Swissair Flight 111 we were already aware of the potential safety issues associated with Kapton wiring.
	In 1987, the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency carried out an investigation of Kapton wiring. The investigation resulted in a number of specification requirements, which now form the basis of tests included in British Standards and in Defence Standards. These Defence Standards are the benchmark for all general airframe electrical wiring used on UK military aircraft.

Armed Conflict: Journalism

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to establish a full and open inquiry into the deaths of journalists in conflict where the UK is involved; and if he will make a statement

Adam Ingram: Our policy, produced in consultation with editors and press and broadcasting organisations, and the British Red Cross, is that the MOD will seek to assist appropriate inquiries into the death or injury of a journalist inside a conflict zone so far as we can. We would not normally conduct such inquiries ourselves.

Armed Forces

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the job descriptions of those employed in the household of the  (a) Chief of the General Staff,  (b) Adjutant General,  (c) General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland and  (d) Commander in Chief Land.

Derek Twigg: The job description of those employed in each household is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Rank  Description 
			  CGS  
			 House manager (colour sergeant) Responsible for day to day running of household. Planning and organising functions. Liaising with Kensington Palace on matters concerning security and repair. Managing household accounts and claims at initial level. Organising hosting of high profile guests. 
			 House orderly (corporal) Responsible for day to day running of residence. 
			  Assisting in planning and organisation of functions. 
			  Ensuring good husbandry of CGS's uniform and formal forms of dress. 
			  Assisting the House Sergeant in the management and organisation of CGS's household. Assisting with the hosting of high profile guests. 
			 Cleaner (civilian contractor) General cleaning of the residence. Assistance with routine household duties including laundry and ironing. 
			   
			  GOC NI  
			 House sergeant (sergeant) Responsible for the day to day running of residence. Managing the staff and house account. Supporting all official and social functions as directed by GOC. Responsible for ensuring good husbandry of GOC's uniform and formal forms of dress. 
			 Cook (corporal) Working when required in support of official functions. Consulting with GOC over menu recommendations and preparation. Cleaning of kitchen and cooking equipment to ensure high standards of hygiene are maintained. Assisting with service, where necessary at large functions. Working in officers' mess when not required by GOC. 
			 Gardener Maintenance of garden, grounds, outbuildings and garden equipment. Planting and developing garden and vegetable patch. Weeding and clearance of fallen leaves and debris. 
			 Cleaner (civilian) General cleaning of house and immediate exterior. Assistance with routine household duties including bed making, laundry and ironing. Occasional back of house assistance at functions. 
			   
			  CinC Land  
			 House sergeant (corporal) Responsible for day to day running of household. Managing civilian staff. Organising and implementing functions. Greeting VIPs in CinC's absence. Security of residence including liaison with civil police. Liaison with DHE and outside agencies on maintenance of the official residence. 
			 House orderly (private soldier) Responsible for day to day running of residence and all associated functions in the absence of the house sergeant. Ensuring good husbandry of all the CinC's uniform and formal forms of dress. 
			 Chef (part-time24 hours per week) (civilian contractor) Preparing and producing lunch, main meals, snack meals, buffet meals. Cleaning of kitchen and cooking equipment to ensure high standards of hygiene are maintained. Assisting with ordering of goods, monthly stock take, invoices and checking deliveries. 
			 Gardener (civilian contractor) Trimming of grass and associated edges. Bushes and shrubs to be trimmed and kept free of weeds. All outside areas to be kept tidy and cleared of fallen leaves and branches. Fenced walls to be kept clear of brambles, overhanging branches and undergrowth. If applicable, vegetable areas to be tended. 
			 Cleaner (civilian contractor) General cleaning within the house and immediate exterior. Washing up, bed making, washing and ironing and any other normal household duties as required. 
			 Assistant cleaner (part-time15 hours) (civilian contractor) General cleaning within the house and immediate exterior. Washing up, bed making, washing and ironing and any other normal household duties as required. 
			   
			  Adjutant General  
			 House sergeant (sergeant) Responsible for day to day running of residence. Organising and implementing social and work related functions. Greeting VIPS in AG's absence. Security of residence including liaison with civil police. Liaising with DHE, MHS and outside agencies regarding maintenance of the official residence. Ensuring good husbandry of all AG's uniform and formal forms of dress. 
			 Gardener (32 hours per week) (civilian contractor) Trimming of grass and associated edges. Bushes and shrubs to be trimmed and kept free of weeds. All outside areas (three acre area) to be kept tidy and cleared of fallen leaves and branches. Fenced walls to be kept clear of brambles, overhanging branches and undergrowth. Vegetable areas to be tended. 
			 Domestic assistant (civilian contractor) General cleaning within the house and immediate exterior. Washing up, bed making, washing and ironing and any other normal household duties as required.

Armed Forces: Bereavement Counselling

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals he has to improve support services available to bereaved service families; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 4 June 2007
	 I refer the hon. Gentleman to the written ministerial statement I made on 7 June 2007,  Official Report, columns 26-29WS.

Armed Forces: Dental Services

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where each regional defence headquarters is located; and how many defence dental personnel there are in each of the regional headquarters in  (a) the UK,  (b) Germany and  (c) Cyprus, broken down by role.

Derek Twigg: Under the direction of the Principal Dental Officers (PDO), Defence Dental Services (DDS) Regional Headquarters are responsible for the efficient and effective delivery of primary dental care to the armed forces in the UK and overseas.
	The locations of the nine UK Regional Defence HQs, plus two overseas, and the numbers of DDS personnel at each, broken down by role, are shown as follows. In Germany and Cyprus primary dental care is extended to authorised dependants and other entitled personnel.
	
		
			  Number of dental workers at location by type 
			  Location  Principal dental officer  Principal dental warrant officer  Principal dental corporal  Civilian administration assistant 
			 Scotland (Edinburgh) 1 1 1 0 
			 Northern England (Catterick) 1 1 1 1 
			 East Midlands and Anglia (Cranwell) 1 1 1 0 
			 West Midlands and Wales (Innsworth) 1 1 1 0 
			 London and South East (London) 1 1 1 0 
			 Home Counties (Aldershot) 1 1 1 0 
			 Wessex (Tidworth) 1 1 1 1 
			 Portsmouth 1 1 1 1 
			 South West (Devonport) 1 1 1 0 
			 Germany (Wegberg)(1) 1 1 1 1 
			 Cyprus (Episkopi)(2) 1 1 1 0 
			 (1) In addition there is one army major responsible for clinical operations and one civilian clerk translator. (2) In addition there is one part time Civilian Orthodontist.

Armed Forces: Hearing Impaired

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to reassess the 50 decibels threshold at which hearing loss due to service can be compensated.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 4 June 2007
	 The compensation threshold for hearing loss due to service applies only to bilateral noise-induced sensorineural hearing loss. It does not apply to other forms of hearing loss or injury, such as that caused by blast. The 50 dB threshold was introduced into the war pensions scheme in 1993 as part of a package of changes which focused benefits on the more severely disabled and is also common to the related Civilian Industrial Injuries Disablement Scheme. The same threshold is used for compensating for this condition in the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, which also focuses on the more severely injured. This approach is based on contemporary scientific evidence and understanding. This has been confirmed in recent years by several reviews carried out by independent audiological experts. There are no plans to review the threshold, although we remain open to consider new evidence that may arise.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what level of protection the Bucher Duro Search Explosive Ordnance Disposal vehicles have against  (a) mines,  (b) rocket-propelled grenades,  (c) improvised explosive devices and  (d) small arms fire.

Adam Ingram: I am withholding the information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Army Board

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of running the offices of the  (a) Adjutant General,  (b) Army Board and  (c) Chief of the General Staff in 2006; and what change there has been in the cost of each since 2002.

Derek Twigg: The full cost of running the outer offices of the Army Board members are not recorded separately and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
	However, the majority of the costs arise from staff pay and the establishment of each office remained largely unaltered between 2002 and 2006. The 2006 establishment together with the 2006 salary range for each position is shown as follows. These figures do not include civilian overtime or staff car drivers.
	
		
			  2006 
			  Member  000 
			  Secretary of State  
			 1 x SCS 55-116 
			 1 x B1 47-66 
			 1 x Lt Col 60-66 
			 1 x C Faststreamer 23-40 
			 1 x D 18-27 
			 3 x E1 14-26 
			   
			  Minister of State for the Armed Forces  
			 1 x B2 40-53 
			 1 x Lt Col equivalent 60-66 
			 1 x C Faststreamer 23-40 
			 1 x D 18-27 
			   
			  Minister of State Defence Equipment Support  
			 1 x B2 40-53 
			 1 x C1 30-40 
			 1 x C Faststreamer 23-40 
			 1 x D 18-27 
			   
			  Under Secretary of State for Defence  
			 1 x B2 40-53 
			 1 x Lt Col equivalent 60-66 
			 1 x D 18-27 
			 1 x E1 14-26 
			   
			  Chief of the General Staff  
			 1 x Lt Col 60-66 
			 3 x Maj 43-51 
			 1 x Capt 34-40 
			 1 x WO2 30-39 
			   
			  Second Permanent Under-Secretary of State  
			 1 x B2 40-53 
			 1 x C Faststreamer 23-40 
			 2 x C2 23-32 
			 1 x D 18-27 
			   
			  Commander in Chief Land  
			 1 x Lt Col 60-66 
			 1 x Capt 34-40 
			 1 x SSgt 30-39 
			   
			  Adjutant General  
			 1 x Lt Col 60-66 
			 1 x Capt 34-40 
			 1 x SSgt 30-39 
			   
			  Assistant Chief of the General Staff  
			 1 x Lt Col 60-66 
			 1 x Capt 34-40 
			 1 x Sgt 26-32 
			   
			  Quartermaster General  
			 2 x Maj 43-51 
			 1 x E1 14-26 
			   
			  Master General of the Ordnance  
			 1 x Lt Col 60-66 
			 2 x Maj 43-51 
			 1 x E1 14-26 
			   
			  General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland  
			 1 x Lt Col 60-66 
			 1 x Capt 34-40 
			 1 x WO2 30-39

Army Board

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many internal flights were taken by the  (a) Adjutant General,  (b) Chief of the General Staff,  (c) non-ministerial members of the Army Board and  (d) Assistant Chief of the General Staff in 2006; how many of those flights were with (i) military and (ii) commercial carriers; and what the cost was.

Derek Twigg: A breakdown of UK commercial and military flights undertaken in 2006 is shown in the following table. The military flights shown form part of wider funded flying activity, which is required to keep pilots trained and aircraft and airfields current and serviceable. The cost for RAF flights is a notional cost only calculated on the basis of a combination of aircraft capitation rates and flying hours. Information on Army flights has not been maintained in a way that would enable a representative notional cost calculation to be made.
	
		
			  Board member  RAF rotary and fixed wing taskings  Notional cost ()  Army rotary wing taskings  Commercial flights  Cost of commercial flights () 
			 CGS 26 79,100.80 35 0 0 
			 2nd PUS 2 7,481.12 0 1 222 
			 CinC Land 5 4,452.17 38 7 545.34 
			 AG 10 43,145.66 37 5 852.10 
			 ACGS 5 25,103.68 1 1 316.40 
			 DG Land Equip 0 0 0 1 98.50 
			 MGO 0 0 0 3 448 
			 GOCNI 1 4,245.86 0 46 11,561.99

Army Board

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what guidance his Department issues on the use of internal flights for travel by non-ministerial members of the Army Board; and what alternative modes of transport are considered;
	(2)  whether his Department issues guidance on the use of helicopters for travel by non-ministerial members of the Army Board; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: Since February this year the tasking of all military flights, both fixed wing and helicopters has been controlled by a single organisation within the Ministry of Defence acting under central policy direction. This policy requires that a high level of scrutiny is applied to such flights and that a detailed case should accompany each application.
	Factors such as time, route, destination, protocol and security are considered, as well as the status of the customer, the availability of other, more cost-effective, methods of transport and the efficient use of our aircraft. Operational taskings always take priority over routine travel.

Army Board: Official Cars

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the criteria used for selecting cars used by non-ministerial members of the Army Board for use in the UK.

Derek Twigg: The principle guidance which sets out the criteria used for selecting cars used by non-ministerial members of the Army Board for use in the UK is contained in JSP 800, the Defence Movements and Transportation Regulations Volume 5Road Transport. Chapter 2First Edition Jan 2007. A copy of this guidance is available in the Library of the House. In addition, any requirements for specialised vehicles, such as armoured staff cars, are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Army: Greater London

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on entertainment by the General Officer Commanding London District in the last 12 months, broken down by event.

Derek Twigg: The total expenditure on Official Entertainment by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) London District in the financial year 2006-07 was 2,922.26. The expenditure broken down by function, is listed in the table as follows.
	
		
			  Date  Cost ()  Function  Event/Reason 
			  2006
			 10 May 107.64 Dinner Party Hosting of Military, Civilian and Palace Dignitaries 
			 16 May 62.81 Formal Lunch Household Division Trustees Meeting 
			 17 May 31.42 Formal lunch Irish Guards Regimental Trustees Meeting 
			 17June 165.02 Formal lunch Hosting of VIPs and Dignitaries Post Queen's Birthday Parade 
			 5 July 205.00 Formal Dinner Hosting of VIP Metropolitan Police Officer 
			 7 July 279.50 Formal Lunch Hosting of CGS 
			 5 September 191.95 Formal Lunch Meeting with Eyre Estates Trustees regarding Kings Troop RHA 
			 26 September 104.21 Formal Dinner Party Unit cohesionCommanders 
			 3 October 110.97 Formal Dinner Party Hosting of Commanders and Military Attach 
			 12 October 187.20 Formal Dinner Party Enhancing community relations Army and District Stakeholders 
			 1 November 178.18 Formal Dinner Party Unit cohesionRegimental Adjutants 
			 28 November 99.32 Dinner Party Hosting of GOC UKSC(G) 
			 4 December 229.19 Formal Dinner Party Hosting of Household Division, past present and future 
			 
			  2007
			 17 January 251.62 Formal Dinner Party Hosting of Crown Equerry and Guests 
			 13 February 123.40 Formal Dinner Hosting of D News and guests 
			 22 February 252.00 Formal Dinner Unit cohesionFoot Guards staff at ITC Catterick 
			 1 March 95.55 Dinner Party Hosting of ACDS (R and C) and London District Commanders 
			 14 March 83.36 Formal Dinner Hosting of Colonel Irish Guards 
			 21 March 163.92 Formal Dinner Party Hosting of Brigade Major and MP's 
		
	
	All expenditure on official entertainment is subject to strict departmental rules and compliance with the principles of propriety set out in Government Accounting.

Army: Greater London

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 14 May 2007,  Official Report, column 843W, on Army: Greater London, if he will give a breakdown of the  (a) staff and  (b) maintenance costs as referred to in the answer.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 23 May 2007
	The current salary range for Ministry of Defence staff working in the household of the General Officer Commanding London District is shown in the following table.
	Salary scales have been used for military staff and are indicative only. The original figure of 112,508.69 quoted for staff costs in FY 2005-06 included the costs of a driver. Drivers are appointment related rather than household related and should not have been included in household costs. They have therefore not been included in this answer. Actual salaries are being withheld on the grounds that they represent personal data under the meaning of the Data Protection Act 1998.
	Salary details for those civilian staff that are employed by contractors are being withheld for reasons of commercial confidentiality.
	
		
			  Role  Rank  Salary  r ange 
			 House Sergeant Sergeant 27,000 to 34,000 
			 Catering/Chef Civilian  
			 Cleaning Assistant Civilians  
		
	
	The figure of 4,701.76 previously provided under the generic heading maintenance contained 1,000 for planned maintenance. Invoices for planned maintenance totalled 1,036.02 therefore the total spend on maintenance was actually 4737.78. This covered a range of costs, broken down as follows:
	
		
			  Description of  m aintenance   
			 Eradication of miceinitial visit 112.50 
			 Eradication of micefollow up visit 84.38 
			 Chimney repairs 1,060.00 
			 Roof repairs 15.65 
			 Shower repair 65.48 
			 Renewal of waste pipes sinks and basins 115.66 
			 Clean carpets to public areas 62.92 
			 Renewal of shower hoses and sprays 59.94 
			 Shower repair 17.68 
			 Remove and later re-fix bath panels 15.26 
			 Renewal of worktops, seal wall joint and make good wall tiling 202.11 
			 Renewal of chromium plated metal support leg to worktop 20.79 
			 Remake bath panel frame 32.74 
			 Check system/rectify faults 316.00 
			 Bath repair 44.57 
			 Battery back ups x 4 219.00 
			 Renew rubber plug and chain to basin 3.30 
			 Make connection for waste from washing machine 106.54 
			 Supply and fix washing machine valves 80.53 
			 Redecorate utility room 200.00 
			 Electrics tripping out main breaker 40.25 
			 Basement electrics tripping out test all 120.75 
			 Clear blockage in drain 16.88 
			 Repair to wardrobe 32.44 
			 Re-fix loose door fitting 3.34 
			 Replace broken window 49.01 
			 Repair power supply to alarm system (currently running on back up battery) 40.25 
			 Re-plaster wall in kitchen 258.28 
			 Re-tile wall in kitchen 253.20 
			 Renew MK fuse board to basement, moulded units 306.02 
			 Renew MK fuse board to basement 218.52 
			 Tefal Steam Generator Iron 175.00 
			 Kitchen Equipment 164.58 
			 Stock Crockery/Crystal 224.21

Army: Manpower

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 16 April 2007,  Official Report, column 142W, on the Army: manpower, what the cost was of training the cook in the household of the General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland.

Derek Twigg: The Chef has been trained as a Corporal Chef Royal Logistics Corps at a cost of 16,500.

Army: North East Economic Forum

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of the Chief of the General Staff's travel to and from the North East Economic Forum.

Derek Twigg: The cost of the Chief of the General Staff's travel to and from the North East Economic Forum was 1,976.65. This figure is broken down as follows:
	
		
			  Transport  From  To  Cost () 
			 Helicopter Minley RAF Northolt 598.37 
			 Plane RAF Northolt Teesside Airport 648.60 
			 Plane Teesside Airport RAF Northolt 729.68 
			 Total   1,976.65 
		
	
	The costs of staff cars cannot be broken down from the central budget and are therefore not included.
	The costs of transport to and from other engagements during the day of the North East Economic Forum have not been included.

Astute Class Submarines

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration his Department is giving to further orders for Astute class submarines; and when he expects such considerations to be completed.

Adam Ingram: Three Astute class submarines are on order with BAES (Submarine Solutions). I also refer my hon. Friend to my written ministerial statement of 21 May 2007,  Official Report, columns 55-56WS, which confirmed the build of a fourth boat.
	Further boat orders are being considered, subject to affordability. We are working with industry as part of the Defence Industrial Strategy to achieve an affordable and sustainable submarine programme.

Bermuda Regiment

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the evidential basis was for Colonel Baxter's statement in his Fitness for Role Inspection Report of November 2005 into the Bermuda Regiment that it was readily apparent to the Royal Party that the Regiment were seven minutes late at the ceremony convening the Bermuda Legislature in 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The Inspection Team had a specific remit to comment on the Bermuda Regiment's ability to perform the ceremonial duties demanded of it. The timings of and performance on both the rehearsal and the actual parade were therefore accurately noted. The principal members of the Royal Party were HRH the Duke of York and HE the Governor of Bermuda. The landau had to progress slowly and then pause between Government House and the Cabinet Office while the gun salute, delayed while the regiment took up post, was completed.

Bermuda Regiment

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 18 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1260W, on the annual personal weapons test, what figures for shooting standards in part-time military organisations in the UK Colonel Baxter used to reach his conclusion in paragraph 9 of the Fitness for Role Inspection Report of November 2005 relating to the Bermuda Regiment that the shooting standards in the regiment were consistent with other part-time military organisations in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The Inspection Team put 46 soldiers (11 per cent.) through their annual personal weapons test over the two days of the inspection, without prior notice and without the individual soldiers having a chance to practise. The team had no exact UK figures as comparators but used its collective military judgment and experience as the basis of their comment: Although low, this pass rate is consistent with other part time organizations in the UK. The team had some experience of serving with the TA and with the Home Service Part-Time element of the Royal Irish Regiment (and Ulster Defence Regiment before) as well as considerable experience with regular soldiers. It felt that a 70 per cent. first time pass rate was probably comparable to (but not quite as good as) that likely to be achieved by part-time British soldiers faced with an equivalent unrehearsed, no-notice test. It also noted that the pass rate would be improved by regular practice.

Chinook Helicopters

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how long the Enhanced Flying Package for Mark 2 Chinooks is expected to remain in service.

Adam Ingram: I have taken this question to be relating to the night enhancement package (NEP) which was fitted as an urgent operational requirement (UOR) to parts of our Chinook fleet as an aid to pilots in low light levels. Equipments acquired under UOR arrangements are only fitted for the period of the particular military operation for which they were needed, unless a subsequent decision is taken that the requirement is enduring. We are currently reviewing the long term requirement for the NEP.

CMT Dynamics

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) value,  (b) purpose and  (c) date was of each payment made by his Department to CMT Dynamics since 1997.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence Financial Management Shared Service Centre has no record of any payments being made to CMT Dynamics.

Departments: BAE Systems

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many current members of the board of BAE Systems have previously worked for his Department; and in what capacity.

Adam Ingram: According to our records, none of the current Board of Directors of BAE Systems have worked previously for the Department.

Departments: Carbon Emissions

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what methodology is used by his Department to account for its carbon emissions.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence collects and collates information on: energy used in its buildings; quantities of aviation, marine and ground fuels supplied to the armed forces and for their logistical support; and road and air mileage travelled by military and civilian personnel and ministers on business. This information is converted to carbon dioxide equivalent emissions using the Government's conversion factors and reported each year in the Department's Sustainable Development Report. Building emissions data are validated by the Building Research Establishment and provided annually to the Sustainable Development Commission for its assessment of the Department's performance against the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate energy efficiency and carbon dioxide emissions reduction targets.

Departments: Data Protection

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times his Department was found to have been in breach of the Data Protection Act 1998 in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The definition of 'found to have been in breach' can be broad. Depending on their nature, breaches by Government Departments of the Data Protection Act 1998 can be dealt with by the Information Commissioner, the Courts or by Departments at an informal local level. The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of his Department's special advisers were on  (a) paid and  (b) unpaid leave in order to assist with party political matters under section 22 (iii) of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers on 16 May 2007; and how many days' leave each adviser was granted.

Des Browne: Special advisers' involvement in party political matters is conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, including section 22 (iii), and the guidance issued by the Cabinet Secretary in December 2006 and May 2007, copies of which are in the Libraries of the House.

Departments: Pendle

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what expenditure is planned to be carried out in Pendle by his Department in the years up to 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence does not plan its expenditure on a regional basis.

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what properties his Department  (a) owned and  (b) rented in each of the last five years.

Derek Twigg: Details of properties owned by the Ministry of Defence in the relevant period that are valued at over 1 million can be found in the national assets register, copies of which are available in the Library of the House or at
	www.official-documents.gov.uk.
	Information on properties owned that are below 1 million in value is not held centrally and will take time to collate. Details of properties rented by this Department are not held centrally and it will need to be determined whether the information can be provided without incurring disproportionate cost. I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate has been made of the value of his Department's property portfolio.

Derek Twigg: The 2005-06 Departmental Resource Accounts show the net book value of land and buildings at 31 March 2006 as follows:
	
		
			   Value () 
			 Dwellings 2,912,696,000 
			 Other land and buildings 15,543,467,000

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of leasing buildings and office space was for  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies in each of the last five years.

Derek Twigg: The details requested are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Travel Agents

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department and its agencies paid in travel agencies' fees in each year since 1997.

Derek Twigg: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Ex-servicemen: Military Decorations

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will examine the merits of extending eligibility for the HM armed forces veterans badge to personnel involved in conflicts since 1984; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: Over 460,000 veterans badges have been issued since it was launched in 2004 and it is my intention that all armed forces veterans should receive their badge at the earliest opportunity. However, for practical reasons relating to the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency's capacity to handle demand, this has had to be done in stages, commencing with those who served first. Further extensions of eligibility to apply for the badge will follow as soon as practicable.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the principal militias identified as involved in insurgency attacks on UK service personnel in Iraq, together with their known leaders.

Des Browne: holding answer 4 June 2007
	A small number of individuals are involved in attacks against UK forces deployed on operations in southern Iraq. While some claim membership of a range of militia groups, we assess that the majority of these individuals are affiliated to the militant and extremist elements of Muqtada al Sadr's Jaysh al-Mahdi.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he intends to make publicly available captured  (a) munitions and  (b) documentation indicating Iranian involvement in insurgency attacks on UK service personnel in Iraq.

Des Browne: holding answer 4 June 2007
	I am withholding this information as its release would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of our armed forces.

Joint Exercises: Kuwait

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any British military personnel took part in United States Lt. General David McKiernan's evaluation exercise Lucky Warrior, conducted in Kuwait in November 2002; whether any outcome of this exercise was passed to British military commanders; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: Records indicate that consideration was given to limited British military involvement in exercise Lucky Warrior, conducted in Kuwait in November 2002, but do not show whether this actually happened. There are no records of any subsequent communication about it to British military commanders. However, 201 Signal Squadron took part in the next Lucky Warrior exercise, in early 2003.

Lynx Helicopters

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK forces Lynx helicopters are in  (a) the UK,  (b) Germany,  (c) North America,  (d) Southern and Central America,  (e) Iraq,  (f) Afghanistan,  (g) Africa and  (h) on board Royal Naval vessels.

Adam Ingram: I am withholding information about military capability, including numbers of specific aircraft deployed on operations, as it would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness and security of our armed forces.

Members: Correspondence

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to reply to question 127539, tabled by the hon. Member for North Durham on 12 March.

Des Browne: I replied to my hon. Friend today.

Military Aircraft: Russia

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions RAF aircraft have intercepted Russian military flights in or near British airspace in the last 12 months.

Des Browne: Twice.

Nimrod Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Kapton wiring is used in the Yellow Gate system in place in Nimrod aircraft; when this system was fitted in Nimrods; what wiring is used on other Nimrod electrical systems; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Kapton wiring is not used in the Yellow Gate system on the Nimrod aircraft but KTCL, a hybrid Kapton wiring, was introduced on the Nimrod MR2 as a part of the Yellow Gate modification programme during the period 1980 to 1985. The wiring used in the electrical systems of the Nimrod MR2 and Rl consists of: Nyvin, Minyvin, Efglas, KTCL, Febsil, ACT260, Raychem 44A and Raychem 55A.

Nuclear Submarines: Scotland

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has investigated potential scenarios for the basing of nuclear submarines, including Trident, in locations other than Scotland.

Adam Ingram: The Royal Navy's nuclear powered submarine fleets, SSN and SSBN, are currently base ported at HM Naval Base Devonport and HM Naval Base Clyde. As announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 18 September 2006, we are, as part of the Defence Industrial Strategy, conducting a Naval Base Review to ensure that we have the right Naval Base infrastructure to meet the needs of the future fleet. No decisions have yet been taken. However, there are currently no plans to change Naval Base Clyde as the home base of the nuclear deterrent or Devonport as the supporting dockyard.

Nuclear Weapons

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on the next generation of the nuclear deterrent since Parliament approved it in principle.

Des Browne: holding answer 4 June 2007
	 Since Parliament voted on 14 March to support the Government's decisions, as set out in the White Paper: The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent (Cm 6994), to take the steps necessary to maintain the UK's nuclear deterrent beyond the life of the current system, work has started mobilising MOD and industry to undertake the detailed concept phase for the new class of submarines and on taking forward the UK's participation in the programme to extend the life of the Trident D5 missile.

Peacekeeping Operations

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what urgent statements of user requirement were made by commanders in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan in each of the last five years.

Des Browne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 April 2007,  Official Report, columns 154-56W, to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock). I am withholding details of individual Urgent Statements of User Requirements as the information would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of our armed forces.

Peacekeeping Operations

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many days of leave in total have been lost by armed forces personnel due to delays in flights from Afghanistan to the UK in each month since the launch of Operation Herrick;
	(2)  how many days of leave in total have been lost by armed forces personnel due to delays in flights from Iraq to the UK in each month since the launch of Operation Telic.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 4 June 2007
	Post-Operational Leave (POL) is additional to an individual's annual leave allowance. A period of POL is only considered to have started after an individual has completed the operational tour and returned to the UK, and therefore it would not be diminished due to any flight delays.
	Rest and Recuperation (R and R) is also in addition to an individual's annual leave allowance and is taken in the course of an operational tour. It is a fixed period which includes travel time, and therefore the time spent at home could be diminished where delays occur in travelling. When appropriate, R and R can be extended at the discretion of the commanding officer if time has been lost due to travel delays; this decision will be made on the basis of the current operational tempo and the impact that such an extension might have. Records are not held of the impact delays have had on individuals' R and R, and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

RFA Fort Victoria

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to place RFA Fort Victoria into reserve; and what plans he has to replace her medical facilities in the active fleet.

Adam Ingram: RFA Fort Victoria is not in reserve. She remains within the Fleet operational cycle and is not planned to be taken out of service until 2019. RFA Fort Victoria has a medical technician and a sickbay on board. She does not provide medical support for the Fleet.

Russia: Nuclear Weapons

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had on recent ICBM tests undertaken by Russia; what assessment he has made of the implications of such tests for UK defence policy; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: holding answer 7 June 2007
	I have had no such discussions. The tests have no significant implications for UK defence policy, as Russia already possesses multiple warhead ICBMs. The tests do not represent an introduction of a new capability, but a gradual replacement and enhancement of an existing one.

Sierra Leone: Peacekeeping Operations

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 7 December 2006,  Official Report, column 1096W, on casualty reporting, what progress has been made on reconciling casualty data for operations in  (a) Sierra Leone and  (b) the Balkans since May 1997.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 4 June 2007
	 Historical data on fatalities and casualties for major ongoing operations in Afghanistan and Iraq have now been reconciled and validated. This information is published and updated regularly and can be found at http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FactSheets/Operations Factsheets, along with details of fatalities for operations in the Balkans.
	Work to date on the compilation and reconciliation of historical casualty data from the Balkans and from other theatres (including Sierra Leone), has indicated that further data collection and analysis is required in order to provide a sufficiently validated product and the focus is on compiling data over the period since January 2001. When this work is complete it will be placed in the public domain.

Warships: Procurement

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to order the seventh and eighth Type 45 destroyers.

Adam Ingram: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 17 April 2007,  Official Report, column 537W.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Audio Equipment: Health Hazards

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will bring forward proposals for a statutory warning to be published on the external packaging of personal audio equipment to inform consumers about risks to their hearing.

Margaret Hodge: It is already widely understood that playing personal audio equipment too loud can damage your hearing. This is usually mentioned as a safety warning in the product instructions. It is not clear what would be achieved by repeating the message on the external packaging.
	These products are increasingly being supplied with software controls for limiting volume which parents can set for their children under a security code. Personal audio equipment intended solely for children is already limited to safe volume levels in line with harmonised European standard EN 71-1.

Breast Feeding

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many prosecutions of employers there were for failing to provide breaks for female employees who are breastfeeding after the birth of a child in each of the past 10 years.

Anne McGuire: I have been asked to reply.
	There is no legal requirement to provide breaks for female employees who are breastfeeding. Therefore, there have been no prosecutions.

Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he has taken to carry out the duty placed upon him by section 21 of the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006 since the passage of that Act.

Malcolm Wicks: As stated in the recently-published Energy White Paper, the Government are committed to promoting the use of renewable heat.
	Many policies are already in place to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions from heat including the climate change levy, tax incentives for combined heat and power, the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, and the energy efficiency commitment. Support has also been made available through the Low Carbon Buildings Programme and the Bioenergy Capital Grants Scheme.
	DTI and DEFRA have commissioned a study by Ernst and Young into renewable heat and its potential to make significant carbon savings in the longer term. The study, which is in its final stages, will be published shortly.
	The Government have also produced a Biomass Strategy and published it alongside the Energy White Paper. The Biomass Strategy identifies biomass heating as the most cost efficient use for energy and provides a framework for the development of biomass.
	It is essential to consider the heat sector holistically and the Government are carrying out further work over the coming months into policy options that could further reduce the carbon impact of heat and its use in order to determine a strategy for heat.

Microgeneration

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department is taking to reduce the cost of microgeneration equipment for domestic households.

Malcolm Wicks: The main mechanism for reducing the cost of microgeneration equipment for households is through the Low Carbon Buildings Phase 1 capital grant programme. The 2007 Budget announced a further 6 million to be added to the householder stream of this programme, bringing the total available to approximately 18.7 million.
	We have also introduced legislation to make it easier for microgenerators to gain access to the monetary benefits of Renewable Obligation Certificates. And we are continuing to work with larger energy suppliers to ensure transparency of prices offered for exported electricity from microgenerators and to make technical changes that would help suppliers to cut administration costs and make it more cost-effective to offer export tariffs.
	The Communities and Local Government Department have recently published a consultation setting out plans to make it easier for householders to install microgeneration equipment without having to go through the planning process and incurring the associated costs.

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much was raised from the sale of his Department's property in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department has only sold one property within the last five years and the amount received was 110,000 in financial year 2006-07.

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much was received by his Department from the letting of its properties in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department has received the following income from letting its properties in the last five years;
	
		
			   Income ( million) 
			 2002-03 2.41 
			 2003-04 2.32 
			 2004-05 6.48 
			 2005-06 6.57 
			 2006-07 9.99

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what properties his Department  (a) owned and  (b) rented in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department has owned/leased the following buildings in the last five years:
	
		
			  Building  Tenure  Remarks 
			 Core Store, Edinburgh Freehold  
			 Wrest Park, Bedfordshire Freehold Sold 2006 
			 National Physics Laboratory, Teddington Freehold  
			 151 Buckingham Palace Road, London Leasehold  
			 Kingsgate House, London Leasehold  
			 1 Victoria Street, London Leasehold  
			 10 Victoria Street, London Leasehold Let to Home Office 2006 
			 Westfield House, London Leasehold  
			 Elizabeth House, London Leasehold Vacated 2004 
			 Oxford House, London Leasehold Vacated 2006 
			 Newtown House, Nottingham Leasehold Acquired 2005 
			 Amberley House, Gloucester Leasehold Acquired 2005 
			 Abbey Orchard Street, London Leasehold Vacated 2005 
			 2a Ryland Street, Warrington Leasehold Let to Pension Service 
			 Atholl House, Aberdeen Leasehold  
			 Tay House, Glasgow Leasehold  
			 Queensway House, Billingham Leasehold  
			 St. Marys House, Sheffield Leasehold

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent estimate has been made of the value of his Department's property portfolio.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department's most recent valuation of its property portfolio is 125.33 million.

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost of leasing buildings and office space for  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies was in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The cost of leasing buildings is as follows:
	
		
			   Value ( million) 
			  (a) The Department (HQ Estate)  
			 2002-03 (1)? 
			 2003-04 28.6 
			 2004-05 29.6 
			 2005-06 31.6 
			 2006-07 30.2 
			   
			  (b) Agencies  
			 2002-03 0.96 
			 2003-04 0.96 
			 2004-05 1.54 
			 2005-06 1.54 
			 2006-07 1.43 
			 (1)Unable to provide figures for 2002-03 due to the disproportionate cost of obtaining this information. 
		
	
	The Insolvency Service have already responded directly.

Departments: Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people took sick leave for stress in his Department in the last 12 months; and what percentage of the total staff number this represents.

Jim Fitzpatrick: 107 people in the DTI took stress-related sick leave in the last 12 months. This represents 2.7 per cent. of the Department.

Departments: Smith Institute

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what payments were made to the Smith Institute as part of the Government's Review of Maternity Pay and Leave and Parental Leave.

Jim Fitzpatrick: As far as our records show no payments were made to the Smith Institute as part of the Government's review of maternity pay and leave and parental leave.

European Space Agency

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the membership is of the European Space Agency; how many UK citizens are represented in the agency; and at what levels.

Malcolm Wicks: The European Space Agency (ESA) has 17 foil member states: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Canada, Hungary and the Czech Republic also participate in some projects under co-operation agreements.
	ESA employees are drawn from across the member states, ideally in proportion to the contribution of each state.
	At 6 June 2007 there were 201 UK nationals employed by ESA:
	'HC' band (programme director): 1
	'A' band staff (senior managers, technical and administrative): 155
	'B' band staff (administrators, technicians, secretarial): 33
	'L' band staff (translators): 3
	'F' band staff (young graduate trainees): 9.
	The 'ideal' figure for UK employees in the period 2007-10 and based upon the UK's contribution to the agency should be 256.

Food: Measurement

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to publish proposals for consolidating and simplifying the weights and measures provisions relating to food; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: We expect to publish proposals to consolidate and simplify the weights and measures provisions relating to food later this year. This will incorporate the implementation of a new European directive to deregulate most specified quantities for foods which is still subject to formal agreement in Brussels.

Media City Development Project: Finance

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding has been given to the Media City Development Project by  (a) the Northwest Development Agency and  (b) other Government agencies.

Margaret Hodge: NWDA will invest up to 30 million in specific public infrastructure and public realm elements of the mediacity:uk project and has recently entered into a funding agreement with Salford city council to this effect.

Metrication

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether traders may weigh, measure and price in imperial units only.

Malcolm Wicks: No. However, the use of imperial units alongside metric units is permitted by current legislation until 31 December 2009 provided they are not larger or more prominent than the metric units.

Mining: Methane

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money from the public purse has been paid to companies who extract methane from former colliery sites.

Malcolm Wicks: I am not aware of any money from the public purse having been paid to such companies.

Nuclear Power Stations

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with the nuclear industry on plans for new nuclear power stations.

Malcolm Wicks: DTI Ministers and officials had discussions with a range of interested parties in preparing for the current consultation on nuclear power, including with companies represented in the nuclear industry and in other energy sectors. The purpose of the discussions was to elicit views on the range of issues that would be relevant to considering whether energy companies should be allowed to invest in new nuclear power stations, in order to ensure that these issues, and issues raised by other interested parties, could inform the development of the consultation document.

Nuclear Power Stations: Decommissioning

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with the Office for Civil Nuclear Security on the adequacy of resources to vet drivers recruited by contractors carrying out the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's decommissioning programme.

Malcolm Wicks: In order to comply with the Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003, transport companies which hold 'Approved Carrier' status to transport nuclear material must ensure that their drivers are security vetted to a level appropriate to the material they are transporting. Security vetting standards in the civil nuclear industry comply with national standards. The Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS) has adequate resources in their vetting office to meet current demand.

Nuclear Power Stations: Decommissioning

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to paragraph 12-17 of the consultation paper on the future of nuclear power, when he expects  (a) the final batch of spent nuclear fuel to be reprocessed at Sellafield and  (b) the decommissioning of Sellafield's reprocessing plants to start.

Malcolm Wicks: The NDA Strategy, which was published in March 2006, noted that all current reprocessing contracts for THORP were expected to be completed by about 2010. However, given that the THORP plant has been closed since an incident in April 2005, it is not possible at this stage to say when the final batch of spent fuel will be reprocessed and the decommissioning of the THORP plant will commence. Decommissioning of the Magnox reprocessing plant is expected to begin in around 2016.

Nuclear Power: Public Participation

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to ensure publication on receipt of all submissions made to the second round of consultation on nuclear power on his Department's website.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government will publish all submissions we receive in response to the current consultation on the future of nuclear power, with the exception of those cases where respondents have requested confidentiality. Submissions will be published online after the consultation has closed.

Nuclear Power: Research

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much was spent by  (a) his Department and  (b) research councils on research and development for nuclear power in each year since 1996.

Malcolm Wicks: DTI has interest in research into power from both nuclear fusion and nuclear fission.
	Responsibility for funding of nuclear fusion research was transferred from the DTI's Nuclear Industries Directorate to the Office of Science and Technology in April 2002, and then to the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) in April 2003. The amount of funding from 1995-96 until 2006-07 is given as follows.
	
		
			million 
			 1995-96 15.7 
			 1996-97 12.1 
			 1997-98 16.6 
			 1998-99 12.6 
			 1999-2000 14.3 
			 2000-01 17.0 
			 2001-02 14.4 
			 2002-03 14.8 
			 2003-04 15.9 
			 2004-05 22.7 
			 2005-06 20.6 
			 2006-07 25.7 
		
	
	Government expenditure (excluding spending by the Research Councils) on nuclear fission research is as follows:
	
		
			million 
			 1995-96 6.0 
			 1996-97 9.3 
			 1997-98 1.0 
			 1998-99 1.6 
			 1999-2000 2.5 
			 2000-01 0.0 
			 2001-02 2.0 
			 2002-03 2.1 
			 2003-04 2.1 
			 2004-05 2.2 
			 2005-06 2.3 
			 2006-07 2.4 
		
	
	Expenditure by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council on nuclear fission research is as follows:
	
		
			million 
			 1995-96 n/a 
			 1996-97 n/a 
			 1997-98 0.04 
			 1998-99 0.08 
			 1999-2000 0.06 
			 2000-01 0.13 
			 2001-02 0.33 
			 2002-03 0.31 
			 2003-04 0.21 
			 2004-05 0.11 
			 2005-06 0.95 
			 2006-07 3.93

Nuclear Power: Security

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what account was taken of submissions to the Energy Review 2006 on nuclear security matters in preparation of paragraphs 6.26 to 6.42 of Chapter 6 of the consultation document on the future of nuclear power.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government considered information gathered from a wide range of sources, including from the security regulator, the Office for Civil Nuclear Security, in preparing, 'The Future of Nuclear Power, The Role of Nuclear Power in a Low Carbon Economy, Consultation Document, May 2007'.

Oxford-Cambridge Arc

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much his Department has paid Bedfordshire county council in respect of the Oxford-Cambridge Arc.

Margaret Hodge: No money has been paid directly to Bedfordshire county council in respect of the Oxford-Cambridge Arc.
	Along with SEEDA and EMDA, BED A has awarded 70,000 per year over a three year period to Milton Keynes Economic and Learning Partnership to support the Oxford to Cambridge Arc. The funding is used to administer the Oxford to Cambridge Arc Company Ltd.
	This company has been established to promote innovation and enterprise in the area between Oxford and Cambridge. The area includes the Milton Keynes South Midlands Growth Area. It aims to support the growth of both Oxford and Cambridge as well as the use of those global brands to support economic development in the Arc, including at Milton Keynes and Bedford.
	The funding was given to support the appointment of a director to lead the company and undertake some project work.

Post Offices: Rushden

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the closure of the post office in Rushden town centre against the Government's access criteria.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Decisions on individual post office branches are operational matters for which the management of Post Office Ltd (POL) have direct responsibility. I understand that the branch will close on 11 June 2007 following the decision by POL's current partners Budgen Stores Ltd to withdraw from providing post office services at the site. I also understand that POL are committed to maintaining a branch in this location and they have two prospective applicants, with suitable premises, currently progressing through their application process. During the period of temporary closure POL's customers are free to visit the branch most convenient to them and I understand that there are several branches in the surrounding area.

Power Stations: Planning Permission

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how long was spent considering the planning applications for each advanced gas-cooled reactor power station; and how long each took from the commencement of building work to reach design output.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 4 June 2007
	This information is not to hand in the Department given the length of time since advanced gas cooled reactor power stations were approved and constructed.

Radioactive Wastes: Waste Management

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has for the disposal of nuclear waste.

Malcolm Wicks: In October 2006, the Government responded to the recommendations of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM), and accepted that geological disposal coupled with safe and secure interim storage is the way forward for the long-term management of the UK's higher activity radioactive wastes. Government also confirmed they are supportive of exploring an approach based on voluntarism and partnership with local communities. A consultation on the framework for implementing geological disposal is due to be launched during summer 2007.
	If, as a result of the current consultation on The Future of Nuclear Power, Government conclude that nuclear has a role to play in the UK, the Government consider that geological disposal and robust interim storage would also be the best solution for dealing with waste from any new nuclear power stations.

Radioactive Wastes: Waste Management

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to paragraph 8.2 of the consultation paper on the future of nuclear power, for what reasons he decided to propose co-disposal of legacy and new radioactive waste arising in the same repository facilities; and what account he took of the advice of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management on this matter as presented to Government in July 2006.

Malcolm Wicks: If, as a result of the current consultation on 'The Future of Nuclear Power', Government conclude that nuclear has a role to play in the UK, Government consider it to be technically possible and desirable to dispose of both new and legacy waste in the same geological disposal facilities, based on evidence from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and overseas waste management programmes.
	Advice from the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) has been taken into account and is discussed in chapter 8 of 'The Future of Nuclear Power'. In particular, the committee drew attention to the important ethical issues around whether to create new nuclear waste. The Government intend that these ethical issues should be considered through the consultation 'The Future of Nuclear Power' launched on 23 May 2007.
	As part of the Government's Managing Radioactive Safely (MRWS) programme, a consultation outlining the implementation framework for geological disposal is due to be launched during summer 2007.

Radioactive Wastes: Waste Management

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals he has to make nuclear plant operators meet the cost of  (a) insurance,  (b) support provided without cost recovery by the environmental and safety regulators and  (c) research and development done on radioactive waste and nuclear decommissioning by Government departments, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management.

Malcolm Wicks: As far as existing nuclear operators are concerned, the Nuclear Installations Act (which implements the UK's obligations under the Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy and the supplementary Brussels Convention) channels liability for incidents to operators, requiring them to maintain insurance or other security to meet potential claims. But these Conventions have recently been revised, and Government are now considering how best to bring the amendments into UK law. The proposals for doing this, on which we anticipate consulting in due course, will have implications for both existing operators and any new owners or operators of nuclear plant.
	The environmental and safety regulators already recover the majority of costs in respect of nuclear regulation from operators. There are no proposals to change these existing cost recovery schemes. The HSE is proposing to introduce regulations to recover costs relating to design assessment. The Environment Agency will recover its costs for design assessment, if required, through an agreement with the requesting party under Section 37 of the Environment Act 1995.
	The current consultation on The Future of Nuclear Power sets out that if Government conclude that nuclear has a role to play in the future UK energy mix, owners/operators of any new nuclear power stations would propose, develop, construct and operate any new plant and cover the full costs of decommissioning and their full share of waste management costs. There are no proposals to change the way in existing operators may fund research and development undertaken by Government departments, the NDA or CoRWM.

Radioactive Wastes: Waste Management

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what responsibilities the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority has with regard to the setting of packing standards for radioactive waste; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is responsible for delivering safe, sustainable and publicly acceptable solutions to the challenge of nuclear clean-up and waste management.
	Radioactive waste needs to be treated (or 'conditioned') and packaged to make it safer for handling, storage and eventual disposal. The nuclear site licence holders (waste packagers) carry out the physical packaging of the waste and are responsible for the safety of their operations. They are required to demonstrate to the independent regulators that the risks to the public and the environment from these activities are reduced to as low as reasonably practicable.
	In support of their safety cases for packaging of radioactive waste, the waste packagers seek advice from the new Radioactive Waste Management Directorate (RWMD) of the NDA. This is done under a system known as the 'Letter of Compliance' process whereby the suitability of waste packages for eventual disposal is assessed.
	It is the independent regulators who take decisions on the acceptability of waste conditioning and packaging safety cases submitted to them. Responsibility for securing the safety of the public and the environment rests with the independent regulatorsthe Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the environment agencies (the Environment Agency, EA, in England and Wales and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, SEPA, in Scotland).

Wind Power: Coastal Areas

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has for expenditure on offshore wind farms.

Malcolm Wicks: Government support renewables generation through the renewables obligation. We published a consultation on banding the renewables obligation on 23 May 2007. Banding will mean technologies such as offshore wind farms, which are at an earlier stage of development and face higher costs, will be given additional support allowing them to compete with well established technologies such as co-firing biomass in coal-fired power stations.

Wind Power: Coastal Areas

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what objections have been made to  (a) his Department and  (b) other planning authorities to the siting of off-shore wind farms off the north east of England coast.

Malcolm Wicks: The two offshore wind farms off the north east coast for which consents have been sought are the Blyth development, which was built in 2000 and comprises two turbines, and the proposed Teesside project that would comprise a maximum of 30 turbines and which is the subject of an undetermined consent application.
	Blyth was consented under the Food and Environment Protection Act and the Coast Protection Act and the Department for Trade and Industry was not, therefore, involved in the decision-making process. Consent applications for the proposed Teesside development are being considered under the Electricity Act, the Food and Environment Protection Act and the Coast Protection Act. Objections to that proposal have been received by my Department, on behalf of the DTI and Defra, from a number of organisations and individuals. The objections will be considered by the Secretary of State in taking his decision on whether to grant consent for the project.

Wind Power: Coastal Areas

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of offshore windfarms.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government published the White Paper on Energy: Meeting the Energy Challenge: on 23 May 2007. The White Paper contains proposals to make it easier to connect to the electricity grid, band the Renewables Obligation (RO), and improve the planning consent process, all of which will help the development of offshore wind farm projects.
	Banding the RO will mean technologies such as offshore wind, which are at an earlier stage of development and face higher costs, will be given additional support allowing them to compete with well established technologies such as co-firing biomass in coal-fired power stations.
	It is also important to provide a long-term market for offshore renewables. The DTI and the Crown Estate have already run two competitions for the development rights for offshore wind farms, granting the rights for 29 offshore wind farms. The White Paper announced the Government's intention to provide regular opportunities for companies to bid for further development rights. The DTI is working with the Crown Estate to explore options for further large-scale offshore wind farms and intends to publish proposals by the end of the year.

Wind Power: Coastal Areas

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the suitability of the North sea off the north east coast for the siting of offshore windfarms.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department has begun to explore options with the Crown Estate, for the siting of further large-scale offshore renewables development. Any consideration of further programmes of commercial-scale offshore wind farms will be based on a strategic environmental assessment (SEA). It may also be necessary to undertake Appropriate Assessments, depending on the locations identified for a further programme. These assessment processes would include consultation with the renewables sector and other parties with interests in or responsibilities for the marine environment.
	In the absence of any regional assessments of the suitability of siting offshore wind farms off the north east coast, DTI officials and their partners in DEFRA have been considering the suitability of two demonstration wind farm projectsBlyth (installed) and Teesside (consent application under consideration)in that area on a case by case basis and taking account of relevant issues.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Charities: Fraud

Jo Swinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the statement of the Parliamentary Secretary in Westminster Hall on 28 February 2007,  Official Report, column 324WH, what date has been set for a meeting of stakeholders to discuss bogus charity collection companies.

Edward Miliband: Since the debate, the issues have been discussed with Clothes Aid and other stakeholders. These include the Crown Prosecution Service, the Trading Standards Institute, the Advertising Standards Authority, the Office of Fair Trading, the Charity Commission, the Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services and the Association of Chief Police Officers, who have agreed to write to all chief constables to raise awareness of the issues relating to bogus charity collections and theft of charity donations.
	Following these discussions with officials from the Office of the Third Sector, on June 18, we will be bringing together the key stakeholders and representatives of the sector to agree the next steps.

Charities: Gift Aid

Peter Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the recent levels of gift aid relief for charities.

Edward Miliband: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Guildford (Anne Milton) on 16 May 2007,  Official Report, column 794W.

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what properties the Department  (a) owned and  (b) rented in each of the last five years.

Hilary Armstrong: For information about freehold properties owned by the Department, I refer you to the National Asset Register published by HM Treasury. The Department currently occupies leased properties in London at 9 Whitehall, 1 Horseguards Road, 35 Great Smith Street, 67 Tufton Street, 10 Great George Street and Dover House. Outside London, the Cabinet Office occupies leased properties at Grosvenor House, Basingstoke, Birchwood Park, Warrington, and the National Computing Centre, Manchester. Since 2006 the Cabinet Office has also been responsible for two floors at 77 Paradise Circus, Queensway, Birmingham, which provide accommodation for two executive non-departmental public bodies. In the last five years, the Cabinet Office has previously occupied leased property in London at Stockley House, 11 Belgrave Road, 7 St. James's Square and 2 Little Smith Street.

Departments: Surveys

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if she will place in the Library copies of her Department's employee surveys for  (a) 2004 and  (b) 2005.

Hilary Armstrong: Staff surveys are valuable tools used by Departments to help them improve performance. The results of the 2005 Cabinet Office survey are available on the civil service website with comparison with 2004 results at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/statistics/news/staff_survey/index.asp

Intelligence Services: Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the real terms percentage change in funding for the intelligence and security services was in each year since 1997.

Tony Blair: I have been asked to reply.
	The security and intelligence agencies are funded from the Single Intelligence Account (SIA). SIA Accounts are published annually; copies are available in the Libraries of the House.

Party Leaders: Elections

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  if she will place in the Library all guidance given to special advisers regarding the deputy leadership of the Labour Party elections within the last six months;
	(2)  whether guidance has been issued to special advisers on activity relating to the Labour Party leadership and deputy leadership campaigns.

Hilary Armstrong: Guidance to Departments was issued by the Cabinet Secretary and placed in the Library for the reference of Members in December 2006 and May 2007. The Code of Conduct for Special Advisers is also relevant and is also available in the Library.

Project George

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 8 March 2007,  Official Report, column 2198W, on Project George 
	(1)  whether she expects the works to incur expenditure beyond that required for routine maintenance and repair;
	(2)  how many full-time equivalent staff and consultants are working on Project George.

Hilary Armstrong: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 8 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 2198-99W.

Voluntary Work

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress her Department has made with establishing a British volunteering corps further to the Chancellor's announcement on 31 January 2005.

Edward Miliband: The independent youth-led charity v was launched on 8 May 2006 with the mission of delivering a step change in the quality, quantity and diversity of youth volunteering opportunities to engage and encourage 1 million more young people to volunteer within five years.
	To date, v has created nearly 120,000 volunteering opportunities for young people through grant funded and match funded projects.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

City Academies

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what target he has set for the number of city academies to be established in England by May 2010.

Jim Knight: The Government are firmly committed to establishing 400 Academies over time. The formal target for 2010, as announced in the Government's five-year strategy for education of July 2004, is for 200 academies to be open or in the pipeline by 2010.

City Academies

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many academy schools  (a) are taking students,  (b) will open to students before the end of 2007,  (c) have opened and  (d) he has discussed with sponsors.

Jim Knight: There are 47 academies now open. We anticipate that a further 36 will open before the end of 2007. As part of progress towards the target of 400 academies, the Department is in discussion with sponsors, schools and local authorities about 47 open academies; 25 academy projects in their implementation phase; and 68 projects where the Secretary of State has agreed a formal expression of interest with a sponsor for an academy project.

City Academies

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills who decides whether an academy school has a sixth form; and how many academies have no sixth form.

Jim Knight: The general policy is for academies to be post-16 providers in their own right to address low participation rates by adding to the diversity and quality of local provision. Where an academy proposal does not include post-16 provision, the Government would need to be assured that arrangements for post-16 students leaving the academy are comparable to those which could be provided by the academy itself. If, during the course of the consultation process that all academy projects are subject to, convincing arguments were put forward as to why the community would benefit more from an 11 to 16 than an 11 to 18 academy, this would of course be taken into account on a case by case basis.
	Of the 47 open academies, three have no post-16 provision.

City Academies: General Certificate of Secondary Education

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of pupils at state city academies obtained five or more A*-C passes at GCSE in 2006.

Jim Knight: holding answer 7 June 2007
	49.4 per cent. of pupils in academies achieved five or more A*-C passes at GCSE or equivalent in 2005/06. This percentage is based on number of pupils on roll at the end of Key Stage 4 in the 2005/06 academic year and includes attempts and achievements by these pupils in previous academic years. The establishments included are those 24 academies with GCSE results open in 2005/06.

City Academies: Special Educational Needs

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what proportion of pupils in each academy school have special educational needs; and what proportion of pupils take free school meals.

Jim Knight: The number and proportion of pupils with special educational needs (with and without a statement), and the number and proportion of pupils known to be entitled to free school meals in each of the 46 academies open in January 2007 is included in the following chart (sourced from School Census provisional data for January 2007).
	
		
			  Name  Number of pupils with a statement of SEN( 1)  Percentage of pupils with a statement of SEN( 2)  Number of pupils with SEN without a statement( 1)  Percentage of pupils with SEN without a statement( 2)  Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals( 3)  Percentage  of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals( 4) 
			 The Academy of St. Francis of Assisi 8 1.2 232 35.0 312 47.1 
			 St. Pauls Academy 48 6.9 213 30.4 179 25.6 
			 The Marlowe Academy 19 2.8 330 48.7 197 29.1 
			 Grace Academy 31 2.7 291 25.6 319 28.0 
			 John Madejski Academy 22 4.3 201 39.6 151 29.1 
			 Macmillan Academy 6 0.4 93 6.3 377 25.5 
			 Dixons City Academy 13 1.2 80 7.3 79 7.2 
			 Paddington Academy 23 2.3 182 18.4 501 50.8 
			 The Petchey Academy 8 4.4 83 46.1 86 47.8 
			 North Liverpool Academy 13 1.1 415 36.2 448 39.1 
			 Westminster Academy 15 2.0 147 19.6 306 40.9 
			 Harris Academy Bermondsey 9 1.0 283 32.2 533 60.6 
			 The Barnsley Academy 11 2.5 123 27.9 165 37.3 
			 Burlington Danes Academy 11 1.4 168 20.8 167 20.6 
			 Sheffield Park Academy 13 1.2 526 49.7 385 36.3 
			 Sheffield Springs Academy 10 1.0 343 35.1 345 35.0 
			 Harris Academy Merton 20 3.1 132 20.3 195 30.0 
			 David Young Community Academy 27 3.0 165 18.4 378 42.1 
			 Harris Girls' Academy East Dulwich 0 0.0 181 23.4 314 40.5 
			 Walthamstow Academy 15 2.2 212 31.2 216 31.8 
			 The Gateway Academy 38 4.6 236 28.8 297 36.3 
			 Greig City Academy 9 1.1 165 20.9 308 39.1 
			 Walsall Academy 21 2.5 60 7.1 96 11.4 
			 Unity City Academy 29 2.8 371 35.8 466 45.0 
			 The Business Academy Bexley 48 4.4 470 42.9 394 35.9 
			 St. Marks Church of England Academy 24 3.3 241 33.6 195 27.1 
			 The City Academy Bristol 44 3.5 359 28.9 573 44.9 
			 City of London Academy (Southwark) 37 4.6 171 21.4 273 34.2 
			 The King's Academy 88 8.1 217 20.1 273 25.3 
			 Manchester Academy 15 1.8 231 28.3 408 50.0 
			 The Academy at Peckham 44 3.7 472 40.1 626 53.1 
			 Capital City Academy 29 2.8 235 22.3 373 35.4 
			 Djanogly City Academy Nottingham 3 0.2 512 32.1 597 37.5 
			 West London Academy 17 2.0 466 54.8 394 46.3 
			 Mossbourne Community Academy 30 4.9 123 20.0 249 40.6 
			 Stockley Academy 12 1.6 212 28.7 298 40.3 
			 London Academy 51 3.9 425 32.2 545 41.3 
			 Northampton Academy 41 3.1 282 21.6 208 15.7 
			 Lambeth Academy 21 3.9 192 36.1 229 43.0 
			 Sandwell Academy 6 1.8 32 9.4 57 16.8 
			 The Harefield Academy 11 2.0 171 30.4 90 16.0 
			 Trinity Academy 24 2.0 145 12.1 184 15.4 
			 Haberdashers' Aske's Knights Academy 24 3.3 206 28.1 325 44.3 
			 Salford City Academy 3 0.5 166 29.1 105 18.0 
			 Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College 29 2.1 252 18.4 293 21.3 
			 Landau Forte College (5) (5) 81 7.8 99 9.6 
			 (1) Excludes dually registered pupils. (2) Number of pupils with SEN with and without a statement expressed as a percentage of the total number on roll. (3) Includes dually registered and boarding pupils. (4) Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals expressed as a percentage of number on roll including dually registered and boarding pupils. (5) Less than three pupils, or a rate based on less than 3 pupils.

City Academies: Sponsorship

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many academies are sponsored by  (a) religious groups,  (b) educational groups,  (c) companies and  (d) individuals.

Jim Knight: There are 47 academies now open. We do not classify sponsors according to whether they are religious groups, educational groups, companies and individuals as these categories will frequently overlap. Some academies have more than one sponsor, usually from more than one of the categories included in the question.
	The list of open academies and their sponsors are included in the following table.
	
		
			  Open academy name  Sponsor(s) 
			 The Business Academy, Bexley Garrard Education Trust 
			 Greig City Academy, Haringey Greig Trust with the London Diocesan Board for Schools 
			 Unity City Academy, Middlesbrough Amey plc 
			 City Academy, Bristol John Laycock/University of the West of England 
			 Capital City, Brent Sir Frank Lowe 
			 City of London Academy, Southwark Corporation of London 
			 Djanogly City Academy, Nottingham Sir Harry Djanogly 
			 King's Academy, Middlesbrough Emmanuel Schools Foundation 
			 Manchester Academy United Learning Trust (ULT) 
			 The Academy at Peckham, Southwark Harris Charitable Trust/Whitgift Foundation 
			 The Walsall City Academy The Mercers' Company/Thomas Telford Online 
			 The West London Academy, Ealing Alec Reed 
			 Lambeth Academy ULT 
			 The London Academy, Barnet Peter Shalson 
			 Mossbourne Community Academy, Hackney Sir Clive Bourne 
			 Northampton Academy ULT 
			 Stockley Academy, Hillingdon Barry Townsley and others 
			 Dixons City Academy, Bradford Dixons CTC Trust 
			 Harefield Academy, Hillingdon David Meller and others 
			 Marlowe Academy, Kent Roger de Haan/Kent County Council 
			 The Academy of St. Francis of Assisi, Liverpool Diocese of Liverpool/RC Archdiocese of Liverpool 
			 St. Paul's Academy, Greenwich Archdiocese of Southwark 
			 Trinity Academy, Doncaster Emmanuel Schools Foundation 
			 North Liverpool Academy Liverpool University/Granada Learning 
			 Harris Academy Merton Harris Charitable Trust 
			 Grace Academy, Solihull Bob Edmiston 
			 Walthamstow Academy, Waltham Forest ULT 
			 Paddington Academy ULT 
			 David Young Community Academy, Leeds Diocese of Ripon and Leeds 
			 Harris Girls Academy East Dulwich Harris Charitable Trust 
			 The Harris Bermondsey Academy Harris Charitable Trust 
			 Sheffield Springs ULT 
			 Sheffield Park ULT 
			 Landau Forte College, Derby Landau Forte Academy Trust 
			 Westminster Academy Exilarch's Foundation 
			 The Petchey Academy, Hackney Jack Petchey Foundation 
			 The Burlington Danes Academy, Hammersmith and Fulham ARK 
			 Barnsley Academy ULT 
			 The John Madejski Academy, Reading John Madejski 
			 Sandwell Academy Mercers Company, Thomas Telford Online, HSBC, West Bromwich Albion Football Club, Tarmac Group 
			 Haberdashers' Knights Academy Haberdashers' Livery Company 
			 Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham Academy Haberdashers' Livery 
			 Salford City Academy ULT 
			 Gateway Academy, Thurrock Ormiston Trust 
			 Macmillan Academy, Middlesbrough Macmillan CTC 
			 St. Mark's Academy, Merton Diocese of Southwark Trust/CfBT Educational Trust/Toc H 
			 Madeley Academy, Telford and Wrekin Thomas Telford On-line

City Academies: Sponsorship

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what promotional rights are available to a private sector company sponsoring a city academy.

Jim Knight: Funding Agreements for academies do not place any restrictions on promotional activities by sponsors. However, the use of data held by academies on individual pupils is restricted by the Data Protection Act.

City Academies: Sponsorship

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what  (a) educational experience and  (b) advisory staff he requires sponsors of academies to have; and how he assesses their ability to make an educational contribution to the schools they sponsor.

Jim Knight: Sponsors come from a wide range of backgrounds, including universities, educational foundations, businesses, individuals and faith communities. There is no set requirement of prior educational experience, nor a requirement for specific advisory staff. The suitability of sponsors and their ability to make a significant contribution to the academies programme is assessed during the process of brokering a project before an expression of interest is agreed by the Secretary of State.
	The Department carries out rigorous checks to establish the suitability of individuals and organisations wishing to become sponsors of academies. These include checking their financial viability to supply the funds pledged as well as their general suitability.
	Potential sponsors should be able to demonstrate:
	Transparency of business arrangements (both in the EU and overseas) and ability to account for funds (including donations from other parties);
	Evidence of a successful business background including evidence of consistent and sustained trading (where appropriate);
	A long-term commitment to the UK education sector and the aims of the academies programme;
	Potential to run a successful school and to contribute towards raising standards;
	Ability to enhance the reputation of the academies programme;
	Ability to promote community cohesion;
	Financial status commensurate with academy sponsorship and/or evidence of ability to raise the necessary funds.

Classroom Assistants: Mathematics

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what schemes are in place to support school pupils' mathematics education by using university students to mentor them; and how many pupils are participating in such schemes.

Jim Knight: The Department for Education and Skills currently funds, through the Training and Development Agency for Schools, the Student Associates Scheme. The scheme's twin aims are to encourage undergraduates into teacher training and to use the undergraduates as role models for school pupils with a view to increasing participation into higher education. Undergraduates spend up to 15 days in a school working with individual pupils, groups and whole classes. The majority of placements are in secondary priority shortage subjects. In the academic year 2006/07, we expect that, of a total of 7,955 potential allocated places, approximately 1,390 will be mathematics placements. Provisional allocations for the academic year 2007/08 suggest that the mathematics figure will arise to around 1,415.

Departments: Pressure Groups

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what meetings took place between Ministers in his Department and outside interest groups between 1 January and 31 March; and what the date was of each such meeting.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Secretary of State and Ministers had the following meetings with outside interest groups between 1 January and 31 March 2007:
	 Alan Johnson
	
		
			  Date  Group 
			  2007  
			 9 January Financial Services Skills Council; e-skills UK and Skillfast UK 
			 17 January UNISON 
			 25 January Association of Teachers and Lecturers 
			 6 February Young Person's Concert Foundation 
			 20 February Compass International Business Machines; British Telecomm; CISCO UK; Lockheed Martin Aerospace; Astra Zeneca; Confederation of British Industry; Thales UK; Association for Science Education; Sector Skills Council and Association of School and College Leavers UK 
			 21 February Institution of Mechanical Engineers; United Learning Trust 
			 22 February UK Consortium of Zoos and Aquariums 
			 5 March Coaching for Hope and Hull City FC 
			 8 March Institute of Directors 
			 20 March Association of Teachers and Lecturers 
			 23 March Transport and General Workers' Union 
			 26 March Confederation of British Industry 
			 27 March The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers 
		
	
	 Beverley Hughes
	
		
			  Date  Group 
			  2007  
			 16 January Young London Matters Challenge Group 
			 23 January The Campaign Company 
			 29 January HSBC Education Trust 
			 1 February Workforce Agreement Monitoring Group 
			 21 February Association of Directors of Children's Services 
			 15 March Together for Children; Council for Disabled Children; National Children's Bureau; SchoolfriendEtc; Fathers Direct; Thomas Coram Children's Centre; Ekaya Housing Association 
			 20 March Children's Workforce Development Council 
			 22 March Confederation of British Industry; Healthcare Commission; National Youth Agency; Parentline Plus; Teenage Pregnancy Strategy's Independent Advisory Group; NCH Children's Charities; National Council for Voluntary Youth Services; The Children's Society; Royal College of Nursing; Coram Family; Association of Chief Police Officers; National Children's Bureau; National Council of Voluntary Child Care Organisations; Association of School and College Leaders; Children's Rights Alliance for England; Association of Directors of Children's Services; National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and United Nations Children's Fund 
			 27 March Association of Directors of Children's Services; National Children's Bureau and National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children 
			 24 January Campaign for Learning 
			 31 January National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers; Association of School and College Leaders; Association of Teachers and Lecturers National Association of Advisors for Computers in Education 
			 1 February Workforce Agreement Monitoring Group Institution of Civil Engineers 
			 8 February Education and Employers Foundation 
			 1 March Royal Geographical Society 
			 1 March Motor Cycle Industry Association 
			 1 March Cisco Internet Business Solutions 
			 7 March The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers; Association of School and College Leaders and Association of Teachers and Lecturers 
			 21 March HSBC 
			 28 March Sutton Trust 
		
	
	 Bill Rammell
	
		
			  Date  Group 
			  2007  
			 9 January Federation of Student Islamic Societies 
			 10 January Age Concern England 
			 22 January Trade Union Congress 
			 23 January Universities UK 
			 25 January Trade Union Congress 
			 21 February University and College Admissions Service; Universities UK (UUK) and GuildHE 
			 28 February The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education; Core Skills Development Partnership; Union Learn 
			 6 March The Children's Society 
			 8 March SOS!SEN (Special Educational Needs); Dyslexia Now 
			 29 March 1994 Group 
		
	
	 Parmjit Dhanda
	
		
			  Date  Group 
			  2007  
			 9 January Parenting UK; Parentline Plus 
			 15 January National Children's Home 
			 22 January Coram family; National Children's Bureau; 4 children; Futurebuilders 
			 24 January Alistair Bennett Football Foundation 
			 5 February British Pig Executive 
			 28 February The Marine Society and Sea Cadets 
			 8 March YMCA England 
			 22 March Confederation of British Industry; Healthcare Commission; National Youth Agency; Parentline Plus; Teenage Pregnancy Strategy's Independent Advisory Group; NCH Children's Charities; National Council for Voluntary Youth Services; The Children's Society; Coram Family; Association of Chief Police Officers; National Children's Bureau; National Council of Voluntary Child Care Organisations; Association of School and College Leaders; Children's Rights Alliance for England; Association of Directors of Children's Services; National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and Child Health and United Nations Children's Fund 
		
	
	 Andrew Adonis
	
		
			  Date  Group 
			  2007  
			 4 January Diocese of LondonAnglican Church 
			 8 January The Young Foundation 
			 9 January British Edutrust 
			 10 January Boarding Schools' Association 
			 11 January BearingPoint 
			 16 January Microsoft 
			 17 January Disabled Children Stakeholder Group 
			 18 January Haberdasher Askes Foundation CFBTEducation Trust Oxford Diocese 
			 22 January The Drapers Company 
			 23 January Teach First Association of Educational Psychologists; Children's Workforce Development Council 
			 24 January Council for Disabled Children and Contact a Family, Every Disabled Child Matters 
			 2 February Microsoft 
			 6 February Federation of Music Services 
			 7 February Granada Learning and Man Investments 
			 14 February Carillion 
			 19 February Disability Equality in Education and Alliance for Inclusive Education 
			 27 February VT Group plc 
			 7 March Independent Schools Council 
			 22 March Association of School and College Leaders 
			 22 March Business in the Community 
			 27 March Tyne and Wear Autistic Society 
			 29 March Experian 
		
	
	 Phil Hope
	
		
			  Date  Group 
			  2007  
			 30 January Trade Union Congress 
			 7 February Diploma Development PartnershipSummit Skills; BBC; Sector Skills Council (SEMTA); Skills for Health and e-skills 
			 13 February Automotive Skills; Cogent, e-skills UK; Improve; Lifelong Learning UK; Skills for Care; Skills for Health and Skills for Justice 
			 14 February Improve Ltd., Lantra; Financial Services Skills Council; People lst, Habia 
			 21 February Centre for Excellence in Leadership; Association of Directors of Childrens' services; Skillsset; e-skills; Federation of Awarding Bodies; Joint Council of Qualifications 
			 28 March Association of Learner Providers

Faith Schools

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many new faith schools have been established in the last 10 years; and what proportion of these schools receive state funding.

Jim Knight: Some 490 faith schools have been established since 1 January 1997. These comprise: 253 local authority maintained schools, 16 academies and 221 independent schools. A significant proportion of the maintained schools and academies were established in place of one or more closing faith schools. The local authority maintained schools and academies are funded from the public purse and, therefore, 55 per cent. of these new or replacement faith schools receive state funding.

Faith Schools: Catholicism

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children meeting the demonstration of faith criteria for acceptance to a Catholic secondary school were unable to obtain a place at a Catholic secondary school in  (a) the London borough of Richmond-upon-Thames,  (b) the London borough of Kingston-upon-Thames and  (c) London as a whole in the last three years for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Faith Schools: Islam

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many Muslim faith schools there are; what estimate he has made of the likely number in 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: There are 123 Muslim faith schools open as at 5 June 2007. These comprise: 116 independent schools and seven voluntary aided schools, with a further three voluntary aided schools planned to open on 1 September 2007.
	The provision of state school places is determined by each local authority, with the provision of independent school places being a matter for each business provider. As such, it is not possible to give an estimate of the number of Muslim schools in 2010.

Foster Care: Death

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many fatalities of young people in  (a) foster and  (b) residential care have taken place in England since 2000.

Parmjit Dhanda: Information on the number of fatalities of young people in  (a) foster and  (b) residential care that have taken place in England since 2000 is not collected centrally by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES).

Foundation Degrees

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of colleges which are likely to gain powers to award foundation degrees in each region by  (a) 2010,  (b) 2012 and  (c) 2014.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 6 June
	The Department has not produced any estimate of the number of further education institutions that are likely to be granted foundation degree-awarding powers under proposals in the Further Education and Training Bill. However, it is likely that only a small number, mostly from the mixed economy group of colleges which currently provide 14 per cent. of all foundation degree provision, will be able to satisfy the criteria necessary to be awarded foundation degree-awarding powers.
	Guidance issued to applicants will specify that an institution will be expected to have at least four years' experience, immediately prior to the year of application, of delivering higher education programmes at a level equivalent to the foundation degree. An applicant institution will also undergo a rigorous process of assessment by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. The required standards will be high, and it is to be expected that only top-performing further education institutions with a strong track record of delivering foundation degree courses will be recommended to the Privy Council for the powers to award foundation degrees.

GCE A-Level

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what average A-level results were obtained by pupils at  (a) state city academies and  (b) other schools at A-level in 2006.

Jim Knight: holding answer 7 June 2007
	The information required is in the following table.
	
		
			  2006 average Level 3 QCA point score for pupils attending academies and other schools 
			   Average QCA point score by candidates( 1)  achieving all Level 3 qualifications( 2,3) 
			 Academies 620.2 
			 Schools excluding academies 768.3 
			 All schools 767.8 
			 (1) For pupils ages 16 to 18 at the start of the 2005/06 academic year i.e. 31 August 2005. (2) GCE or VCE A level or other Level 3 qualification equivalent in size to an A-level. (3) Cumulative results obtained in academic years 2004/05 and 2005/06.

GCSEs

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2007,  Official Report, column 692W, on GCSEs, 
	(1)  what proportion of 15-year-olds attending  (a) independent mainstream schools and  (b) maintained mainstream schools achieved five or more GCSEs at A*-C including English and mathematics in each year since 1997 (i) in total and (ii) as a proportion of pupils entered for a full GCSE in both English and mathematics in each year since 1997;
	(2)  when he expects to answer question 130267, on GCSEs, tabled by the hon. member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton on 22 March 2007;
	(3)  when he will answer question 130267, on the educational attainment of 15-year-olds, tabled by the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton on 22 March 2007.

Jim Knight: The information requested is given in the following table.
	
		
			   Percentage of 15-year-old( 1)  pupils at mainstream schools to get five or more A*-C at GCSE including English and Mathematics  Percentage of 15-year-old( 1)  pupils at mainstream schools to get five or more A*-C at GCSE including English and Mathematics as a percentage of those to attempt a full GCSE in English and Mathematics 
			   Maintained( 2)  Independent  Maintained( 2)  Independent 
			 1997 34.3 81.6 36.2 87.2 
			 1998 35.6 81.5 37.9 87.9 
			 1999 37.4 82.5 39.5 88.4 
			 2000 38.7 83.2 40.7 88.9 
			 2001 37.8 77.6 41.4 89.0 
			 2002 39.2 78.7 42.6 89.7 
			 2003 39.1 77.9 42.1 89.4 
			 2004 39.9 76.7 43.3 89.8 
			 2005 42.0 73.9 45.3 89.8 
			 2006 43.4 69.3 46.7 89.6 
			 1 Aged 15 at the beginning of the academic year, i.e. 31 August. (2) Includes academies, community schools, voluntary aided schools, foundation schools and city technology colleges.

General Certificate of Secondary Education: Science

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he has taken to evaluate  (a) the 21(st) century science GCSEs and  (b) other new syllabi.

Bill Rammell: As part of their remit to develop the 21(st) century GCSE, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority commissioned an evaluation of the pilot programme; the findings were published in 2005. An independent evaluation was also carried out by the University of Leeds, and published in February 2007.
	These evaluations are helping to inform QCA's wide ranging evaluation of the changes made to the Key Stage 4 curriculum from September 2006, which is currently under way.

General Certificate of Secondary Education: Science

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of  (a) maintained,  (b) specialist science,  (c) grammar and  (d) independent schools offer separate science GCSEs in physics, chemistry and biology.

Jim Knight: The Government collect information on schools that entered pupils for the three separate science GCSE examinations, rather than schools which offered these subjects. This information for pupils taking their exams in 2006 is summarised in the table.
	If a school offers the three subjects, but pupils elect not to take them, the school will not be classified as offering the separate sciences.
	
		
			  School type( 1)  Total number of schools  Schools offering separate science GCSEs, 2006  Percentage of schools offering separate science GCSEs 
			 Independent(2) 615 408 66 
			 Grammar 164 118 72 
			 Science colleges 234 135 58 
			 Other maintained mainstream schools 2,727 706 26 
			 Total 3,740 1,367 37 
			 (1) Schools are only included once in the first category that applies (2) Only independent schools with more than 20 pupils at the end of KS4 and one or more pupils gaining 5+ A*-G (used as a proxy for offering GCSEs).

Head Lice

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the incidence of head lice amongst school children in England in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what guidance her Department provides to primary care trusts on head lice control; and how frequently such guidance is updated.

Ivan Lewis: I have been asked to reply.
	Information on the incidence of head lice infestation is not collected centrally. Our policy, which is shared by the Department for Education and Skills, is to encourage a whole school approach. This entails encouraging parents to check their children and other family members for head lice as need arises and arranging treatment where necessary, with advice and support from the local primary health care team.
	The Department has produced a leaflet containing guidance on the prevention and treatment of head lice. The leaflet, which has recently been reprinted, is widely available from locations that include schools and general practitioners surgeries and copies are available in the Library and at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/11/63/47/04116347.pdf

Head Teachers

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school head teachers resigned from their posts within 12 months of an Ofsted inspection in each of the last five years.;
	(2)  how many  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school head teachers in England and Wales left their posts prior to retirement age in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: holding answer 6 June 2007
	 The information is not available in the format requested.

Head Teachers

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions he has had with educational representatives on the reasons for recent trends in applications for headships of primary and secondary schools.

Jim Knight: holding answer 6 June 2007
	 The Department does not collect data about the number of applications for headships. However, according to research undertaken by Howson(1), while there has been a decline in the number of applications for headships in primary schools between 2004-05 and 2005-06, there has been an increase in the number of applications in secondary schools. In addition, the Department's official statistics show that since 1997, head teacher vacancies have remained low and fairly stable. Provisional figures for 2007 show a fall in the head teacher vacancy rate from 0.8 per cent. in January 2006 to 0.6 per cent. in January 2007. However, we know that some types of schools such as church schools, schools in London and some small schools in rural areas find it harder to recruit senior staff than others and also that more heads are reaching retirement age.
	Our focus is therefore on ensuring that we have sufficient numbers of high quality school leaders now and coming through the system for the future. The Secretary of State asked the National College for School Leadership (NCSL) for advice on succession planning and on the back of this announce an additional 10 million to support their work in this area. In preparing the advice, the NCSL have consulted widely with schools, school leaders, local authorities, dioceses, professional associations, and governor bodies. This included nine regional succession planning conferences, attended by over 500 school leaders and an ongoing Succession Planning Advisory Group with senior education representatives which meets regularly. The Department also commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers to conduct an independent study into school leadership, which reported in January.
	(1) The State of the Labour Market for Senior Staff in Schools in England and Wales 11th and 12th Annual Reports by Professor Howson of Education Data Surveys.

Higher Education: Islam

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will estimate the number of  (a) faculties,  (b) chairs and  (c) other facilities in relation to Islamic studies in universities which are funded from abroad.

Bill Rammell: This information is not collected centrally, but I have recently announced that we will work with the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the university sector to develop a comprehensive long term project to address the gaps in Islamic studies teaching and research. 1 million has been committed from HEFCE to start this work. By designating Islamic studies as a strategically important subject, we can help ensure that the study of Islamic studies within higher education is up to date and focuses on relevant issues, whatever the source of funding for particular faculties, chairs or other facilities.

Languages: Mandarin

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  pursuant to his answer of 24 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1390W, on Mandarin if he will take steps to encourage schools to offer Mandarin as a subject at all levels; and what steps he is taking to increase the pool of teachers qualified to teach Mandarin;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on the teaching of Mandarin and its potential impact on the preparedness of the UK workforce for dealing with China;
	(3)  what steps his Department is taking to promote Mandarin to young people as an academic subject.

Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to my written reply of 14 May. We have now received the Qualification and Curriculum Authority's advice on the revised Key Stage 3 languages curriculum. We are considering that advice and will be responding shortly. Schools are already free to teach any language they choose at Key Stage 2.
	We are working with partners, including the China National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (Hanban), on a range of initiatives to promote the teaching of Mandarin at all levels, including high profile events such as the HSBC China Conference, and arranging for secondary school pupils from the UK to attend summer schools in China. The Training and Development Agency for schools is working with initial teacher training providers to develop their ability to offer more places for major world languages such as Mandarin within their PGCE programmes.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no recent discussions with Ministerial colleagues about the teaching of Mandarin and its impact for the UK workforce.

Learning and Skills Councils: Reorganisation

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the changes to staff numbers and structures which will result from the reorganisation of the learning and skills councils proposed in the Further Education and Training Bill.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 4 June 2007
	The Further Education and Training Bill makes provision to streamline the non-executive structure of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) by removing the requirement to have local learning and skills councils (of which there are 47) and replacing them with new regional committees (to be known as regional councils, of which we intend there to be nine). It also removes the requirement to have an adult and young people's learning committee and reduces the minimum size of the LSC's national council. Overall the number of non-executives will reduce from around 750 to around 150.
	The LSC has also been undergoing a restructuring exercise which will result in some 1,100 fewer staff posts across the whole of the organisation. This exercise is expected to be completed later this summer, and is important preparation for the LSC's role in implementing the reforms set out in the Further Education White Paper Raising Skills, Improving Life Chances, and for taking forward the skills challenges identified in the Leitch Report.

Local Education Authorities: Worcestershire

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on what basis he has allocated funding to Worcestershire local education authority; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The core funding for schools is delivered through the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) which was introduced in 2006-07 following two public consultations in 2005. DSG is calculated using the spend plus methodology set out as follows.
	Each local authority's total DSG for 2006-07 and 2007-08 was calculated by multiplying their full-time equivalent pupil numbers (aged three to 15) from the January 2006 and 2007 pupil counts by their DSG per pupil Guaranteed Unit of Funding. The DSG Guaranteed Unit of Funding is unchanged from that set in December 2005 and in:
	2006-07 was based on spend per pupil in 2005-06, with: a basic increase of 5 per cent. per pupil (5.1 per cent. for London authorities); and headroom allocated to reflect five ministerial priorities.
	2007-08 was based on the 2006-07 DSG Guaranteed Unit of Funding, with: a basic increase of 5 per cent. per pupil (5.1 per cent. for London authorities); and headroom allocated to reflect three ministerial priorities. See Jacqui Smith's statement to the House setting out the details (21 July 2005,  Official Report, column 126-37WS).
	We have just consulted on the DSG arrangements for 2008 to 2011. We are currently examining the consultation responses and we will announce details of the school funding system for 2008 to 2011 in the summer.

New Arrivals Excellence Programme: Somerset

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding from the New Arrivals Excellence programme has been made available to each local authority area in Somerset since the initiation of the programme.

Jim Knight: The New Arrivals Excellence Programme was announced in October 2006, with resources to be launched in July 2007. The programme does not devolve funding to local authorities but is a central resource, which local authorities, schools, specialist and mainstream teachers can look to for advice, guidance and 'signposting' towards the best training opportunities.
	The programme will have a clear focus on helping local authorities and schools who have received a large number of new arrivals and where local authorities have little experience of working with those with little or no English. Outreach workers will be available as part of the programme, to provide additional focused support within those local authorities.
	Materials available to local authorities will include a DVD of effective practice, a website and on-line forum and a training module. The programme will link securely with the work of the National Strategies, whose primary and secondary programmes are now expanding to include work on new arrivals.

Overseas Students

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he expects to publish a revised action plan for the implementation of the International Education Strategy.

Bill Rammell: Implementation of the International Education Strategy is on-going. An update to the action plan will be made available on the DfES Global Gateway and TeacherNet by the end of June.

Pre-school Education: Finance

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 17 May 2007,  Official Report, columns 856-8W, on pre-school education: finance, what assessment he has made of whether local authorities are funding nursery providers equitably, fairly and transparently.

Beverley Hughes: The code of practice on the delivery of nursery education for three and four-year-olds requires local authorities to ensure settings are funded equitably, transparently and fairly, reflecting local need and circumstances. My letter in December 2006 to all local authority chief executives reiterated this point and asked them to reassure themselves that their funding levels support a diverse local child care market and take into account the impact on provider sustainability.
	The Schools, Early Years and 14-16 Funding consultation which closed on 1 June set out a number of proposals for changes to the way the early years funding system operates. As part of our consideration of these options and to assess their impact, the Department is developing a more comprehensive evidence base of current practice around the country. We have asked all local authorities to complete a questionnaire, setting out how they allocate and distribute free entitlement funding to maintained schools and to private, voluntary and independent (PVI) providers. We are also working with authorities to produce estimates of the level of funding allocated to early years in each local authority and its distribution between the PVI and maintained sectors in 2005-06 and 2006-07.
	We intend to collate and publish both the questionnaire responses and the levels of funding in each local authority so that authorities can benchmark their approaches to funding the free entitlement.

Pupil Exclusions: Education

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what discussions he had with Ministers in the  (a) Department for Communities and Local Government and  (b) Home Office on his Department's decision to require schools to provide full-time education for any pupil excluded for six days or longer; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what account was taken of the Government's  (a) policy on localism and  (b) Respect agenda before his Department's decision to require schools to provide full-time education for any pupil excluded for six days or longer; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what the basis was for his decision to require schools to provide full-time education for pupils excluded for six days or longer from September 2007;
	(4)  what assessment his Department has made of the likely impact on  (a) numbers of exclusions and  (b) school discipline of his decision to require schools to provide full-time education for pupils excluded for six days or longer; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The requirement for schools to provide full-time education for pupils excluded for more than six days was set out in the Schools White Paper Higher Standards, Better Schools for AllMore Choice for Parents and Pupils on 25 October 2005 and enacted in the Education and Inspections Bill in February 2006. This was cleared with Cabinet colleagues including the Deputy Prime Minister, then responsible for local government, and the Home Secretary. Requiring schools and local authorities to provide education for pupils who have been excluded ensures that no child misses out on their education when excluded from school and that they are not left to wander the streets during schools hours, in line with the Respect agenda. This particular requirement is part of a range of powers and duties in the Education and Inspections Act 2006 and is intended to benefit pupils who are excluded rather than impact directly on school behaviour. We will be monitoring the volume and pattern of exclusions from September 2007 but do not expect to see significant changes as a result of the introduction of this requirement, as decisions about whether or not to exclude a pupil should only be taken in response to serious instances of misbehaviour as outlined in the school's behaviour policy. Real progress has been made since 1997 in tackling poor behaviour in schools. Ofsted indicate that pupil behaviour is good in most schools and permanent exclusions are 25 per cent. lower than in 1997.

Pupils: Intimidation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding was allocated to tackling bullying in schools in each financial year since 1997-98.

Jim Knight: The figures for the anti-bullying strand of the Improving Behaviour and Attendance Programme are given in the table:
	
		
			
			 2002/03 184,000 
			 2003/04 1,054,000 
			 2004/05 1,613,000 
			 2005/06 1,145,000 
			 2006/07 1,400,000 
			 2007/08 1,700,000 
		
	
	Figures for earlier years are not available because the anti-bullying strand of behaviour work was not disaggregated.

Pupils: Intimidation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which organisations his Department is working with to tackle bullying in schools; and in what year his Department commenced joint working with each such organisation.

Jim Knight: The Department works with a number of organisations to tackle bullying in schools. We have been working with and funding the following organisations:
	Childline in Partnership with Schools (CHIPS) (since 2002);
	Parentline Plus (since 2002);
	Anti-Bullying Alliance (since 2004);
	Diana Princess of Wales Awards Scheme (since 2004);
	BeatBullying (since 2006);
	Stonewall/EACH (since 2006); and
	Childnet International (since 2006).
	In addition, we have also been working closely with the National Strategies in developing the SEAL strategy for social and emotional learning since 2003, and they are currently working with my Department and Ofsted to identify schools with weak and ineffective anti-bullying policies and to provide targeted support to those schools. And we are working with a number of internet service and mobile phone providers to see what we can all do to address cyber bullying among school pupils.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much his Department spent on education per pupil in Brent in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2006.

Jim Knight: Total funding per school pupil aged 3-19 in 1997-98 was 3,840. In 2005-06, the latest information collected by the Department was 5,350.
	 Notes:
	1. Price Base: Real terms at 2005-06 prices, based on GDP deflators as at 27 September 2006.
	2. Figures reflect relevant sub-blocks of Standard Spending Assessment / Education Formula Spending (EFS) settlements and exclude the pensions transfer to EFS and LSC.
	3. Total funding also includes all revenue grants in DfES Departmental Expenditure Limits relevant to pupils aged 3-19 and exclude education maintenance allowances (EMAs) and grants not allocated at LEA level.
	4. The pupil numbers used to convert  million figures to per pupil are those underlying the SSA/EFS settlement calculations plus PLASC 3-year-old maintained pupils and estimated 3 to 4-year-olds funded through state support in maintained and other educational institutions where these are not included in the SSA pupil numbers.
	5. Rounding: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	6. Status: Some of the grant allocations have not been finalised. If these do change, the effect on the funding figures is expected to be minimal.

Pupils: Special Educational Needs

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children were given an individual education plan in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: Individual education plans (IEPs), although recommended by the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice, are not statutory. Information on how many children have IEPs is not collected centrally.

Regional Development Agencies: Standards

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions he has had with regional development agencies on setting regional targets and priorities for skills.

Bill Rammell: RDA chairs meet Government Ministers, including DfES Ministers, regularly to discuss a range of RDA business including their role in skills.
	RDA business priorities, including skills, are set out in the RDA Tasking Framework introduced in April 2005. Each RDA has agreed output targets for skills which include:
	(a) the number of people assisted in their skills development as a result of RDA programmes;
	(b) the number of adults gaining basic skills as part of the Skills for Life Strategy that count towards the Skills PSA Target;
	(c) the number of adults in the workforce who lack a full level 2 or equivalent qualification who are supported in achieving at least a full level 2 qualification or equivalent.
	As key members of Regional Skills Partnerships, RDAs have a central role in determining regional priorities on skills and report every six months on progress to DfES Ministers.

School Sanitary Provision

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 8 February 2006,  Official Report, column 994W, on school sanitary provision, how many times he has directed  (a) schools and  (b) local education authorities to meet the regulations concerning the provision of school toilets and drinking water for pupils.

Jim Knight: The Department does not have record of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills having directed schools or local education authorities to meet the regulations concerning the provision of school toilets and drinking water for pupils.

Schools: Closures

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what weight a local authority should give to a consistent rating of excellent when considering a small rural school for closure under a surplus places reduction strategy.

Jim Knight: Before publishing proposals to close a school a local authority must consult all interested parties on its proposals, including the school's staff, governors and parents, and other schools and local authorities likely to be affected. The authority must provide sufficient information and allow adequate time for those being consulted to form a view and make their views known, and it must take those views into account in deciding whether to go ahead and publish its proposals.
	When deciding proposals to close a school the local authority must take account of statutory guidance issued by the Secretary of State. The guidance does not specify the weightings that decision-makers should apply to the various factors they take into account, but it makes clear that they must be satisfied that closing the school would contribute to raising the standard of provision locally and lead to improved attainment for children. The statutory guidance also includes a presumption against closing rural primary schools. Although this does not mean that no rural primary school will ever close, the case for closure needs to be strong.

Schools: Crime

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools recorded incidences of (i) theft, (ii) criminal damage and (iii) assault in each of the last 10 years; how many of these incidents were committed by (A) staff and (B) pupils; and how many of those incidents resulted in the removal of the perpetrator from the school in question.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	For the academic years 2003/04 and 2004/05 information is available on the reasons for pupil exclusions. These reasons include 'theft', 'damage' and 'physical assault against an adult or pupil'.
	The tables provide a breakdown of the number of pupils who have been excluded for a fixed period or permanently from maintained primary and secondary schools for theft, damage and physical assault against an adult or pupil.
	
		
			  Maintained primary and secondary schools( 1) : Number and percentage of fixed period exclusions for theft, damage and physical assault against an adult or pupil( 2) , 2003/04 and 2004/05, England 
			   Maintained primary  Maintained secondary 
			   2003/04  2004/05  2003/04  2004/05 
			   Number  %( 2)  Number  %( 2)  Number  %( 2)  Number  %( 2) 
			 Theft 400 1.0 400 0.9 6,550 2.3 7,020 2.1 
			 Damage 830 2.0 990 2.3 9,200 3.2 10,220 3.1 
			 Physical assault against an adult 5,190 12.6 5,960 13.6 8,110 2.8 9,490 2.9 
			 Physical assault against a pupil 10,890 26.4 11,950 27.3 55,440 19.2 65,790 20.0 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed.  (2) Number of fixed period exclusions by reason expressed as a percentage of the total number of fixed period exclusions.   Note:  Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.   Source:  Termly Exclusions Survey. 
		
	
	
		
			  Maintained primary and secondary schools( 1) : Number and percentage of permanent exclusions for theft, damage and physical assault against an adult or pupil( 2) , 2003/04 and 2004/05, England 
			   Maintained primary  Maintained secondary 
			   2003/04  2004/05  2003/04  2004/05 
			   Number  %( 3)  Number  %( 3)  Number  %( 3)  Number  %( 3) 
			 Theft (4) (4) (4) (4) 210 2.5 220 2.8 
			 Damage 30 2.1 10 9.3 270 3.3 200 2.5 
			 Physical assault against an adult 290 22.9 290 26.3 820 9.9 900 11.1 
			 Physical assault against a pupil 290 22.7 250 22.6 1,380 16.6 1,500 18.6 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed.  (2) The distribution of exclusions by reason has been derived from the Termly Exclusions Survey data and applied to the number of permanent exclusions as confirmed by local authorities as part of the School Census checking exercise.  (3) Number of permanent exclusions by reason expressed as a percentage of the total number of permanent exclusions.  (4) Less than 5 or a rate based on less than 5.   Note:  Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.   Source:  School Census and Termly Exclusions Survey.

Schools: Fire Extinguishers

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding he plans to make available for sprinkler systems in schools in  (a) Richmond upon Thames,  (b) the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and  (c) London.

Jim Knight: We do not propose to provide additional funding for the provision of sprinkler systems in new schools. An analysis of recently completed secondary schools showed that with good design and effective project management it is possible to cover the costs of sprinklers within existing funding.
	It is our expectation that all new schools will have fire sprinklers installed, but this is subject to a risk assessment.

Schools: Sanitation

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to inform  (a) local education authorities,  (b) governors and  (c) schools of their responsibility for ensuring the standard and cleanliness of school toilet facilities;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to ensure that  (a) local education authorities,  (b) governors and  (c) schools are made aware of the recently published guidance on school toilets issued as part of the Building Schools for the Future programme;
	(3)  what plans he has to monitor improvements in the provision of school toilets as a result of the recently published guidance on school toilets.

Jim Knight: The day-to-day responsibility for ensuring the standard of cleanliness of school toilet facilities lies with the school governors with, in general, the local authorities having an overarching responsibility. This is laid out within the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1999, SI No.2 1999.
	The guidance referred to in PQ 141078 is 'Standard Specifications, Layouts and Dimensions SSLD 3: Toilets in Schools'. This guidance has been developed to inform the building schools for the future (BSF) programme. It sets out standards of performance for toilet facilities and shows how they might be delivered through design examples. The aim of the SSLD series of specifications is to disseminate best practice and avoid reinventing the wheel every time a school building is designed so that consistently high quality environments can be delivered, offering best whole-life value for money. The new guidelines also seek to address the issue of bullying in toilet blocks, helping ensure that cramped, dirty and vandalised toilets become a thing of the past. Toilets in BSF schools will no longer provide bullies with places that lend themselves all too readily to antisocial behaviours.
	School building clients, their professional advisers, contractors and their supply chains will use the guidance at the early stages of a project's development whether for new build, extension or refurbishment.
	The guidance was published on both the Department(1) and Partnerships for Schools' websites and local authorities will be informed through newsletters that the guidance exists. The guidance is being reflected in the BSF standard documentation. The published guidance applies to new toilet facilities only.
	The Department has no plans to monitor improvements in provision of school toilets.
	(1) www.teachernet.gov.uk/schoolbuildings

Secondary Education

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on how many occasions his Department has issued  (a) directives,  (b) requirements and  (c) advice to (i) primary schools and (ii) secondary schools in the last 12 months.

Jim Knight: The Department only sends information automatically to schools in England in exceptional cases having stopped regular paper mailings in December 2004.
	Discussions with head teachers and detailed research showed that schools wanted to be able to choose the printed publications they needed, when they needed them, and to be able to order multiple copies.
	Instead, the Department has successfully introduced an online ordering service where schools are able to either download or order paper based copies of publications including guidance. A regular fortnightly e-mail is sent to schools to inform them of new publications. In addition, Spectrum provides schools, head teachers and chairs of governors with a summary of all the latest resources, publications, guidance and regulations. It is available online and can also be requested in paper copy.

Students: Loans

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when the departmental inquiry on student loan fraud took place; what its nature was; who conducted it; what its scope and duration was; and when he expects to report its findings to the House.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 4 June 2007
	We constantly review procedures to ensure we can prevent and detect fraud, while making it straightforward for genuine students to obtain the funds they need to pursue their studies.
	Over the last year, DfES officialsin conjunction with the student loans company and local authoritieshave investigated a number of cases of suspected fraud, including some involving the use of stolen birth certificates to create false identities, which resulted in successful prosecutions. Alongside this the NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service has estimated the fraud rate for student support at around 0.6 per cent. of applications in 2005/06. We will work to reduce it further, but it is appreciably lower than other similar systems which involve payments.

Targeted Capital Fund

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether the Targeted Capital Fund will be accepting applications in the 2008-09 financial year.

Jim Knight: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is considering his priorities for capital investment for 2008-09 to 2010-11, including the Targeted Capital Fund. As part of that, the focus and operation of the Targeted Capital Fund are under review. This is to ensure that investment best meets national education objectives, such as school kitchens to support healthy eating.
	We will announce our capital programmes later this year, together with the arrangements for the Targeted Capital Fund.

Teachers: Sustainable Development

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  if he will make it his policy to ensure that training courses for new teachers and headteachers include learning about sustainable development;
	(2)  if he will make changes to schools' curriculums to include more content about sustainable development;
	(3)  what support his Department provides for the eco-schools programme; and if he will adopt a target to make every school an eco-school;
	(4)  if he will introduce beacon school status for those schools which put sustainable development into practice;
	(5)  if he will make it his policy to require Ofsted  (a) to inspect and  (b) to report on schools' commitment to sustainable development in (i) teaching and (ii) property management.

Jim Knight: Building on school workforce remodelling and the reform of teachers' pay, we are working with social partners to deliver a new teacher professionalism in which all teachers are engaged in ongoing professional development that takes account of individual development needs, career aspirations and school's improvement priorities, along with national, regional and local priorities. Sustainable development can easily be incorporated into courses as part of a qualified teacher's professional development.
	The National College for School Leadership already covers learning on sustainable development on the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) as part of 'Developing a Strategic Educational Vision for the School'. The NPQH will be a mandatory qualification for new head teachers from April 2009.
	Sustainable development is already a statutory part of the National Curriculum in citizenship, design and technology, geography and science. The current review of the secondary curriculum will mean that there is a sharper focus on sustainable development in these subjects. QCA will be developing supporting material to demonstrate how sustainable development can be taught across the curriculum.
	Beacon school status was phased out in 2005 as part of a streamlining of existing programmes. The Government wants all schools to put sustainable development into practice and is encouraging them to do so through the current sustainable schools year of action. We value award schemes like Eco-schools and also local schemes such as Sandwell's Sustainable Schools Charter. DEFRA has provided 65,000 this year to the Eco-schools programme. The Department has no plans to adopt an Eco-schools target but all schools are encouraged to be sustainable schools by 2020.
	We believe that school inspection should recognise where the efforts made to create sustainable schools are having a significant impact on a school's overall effectiveness.
	As stated in 'Sustainable Schools for Pupils, Communities and the Environmentan action plan for the DfES', published in March 2007, we will be discussing with Ofsted how best to ensure that sustainable development is recognised during school inspections. The Department has developed a tool linked to the Ofsted self-evaluation form to enable schools to record and report their efforts on sustainable development. Sustainable Development is an important part of value for money in property management and as such should already be factored into inspectors' judgments.

Vocational Education: Gloucestershire

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to replace the access course in Gloucestershire in order to provide trainees with sufficient skills to progress from education to employment.

Bill Rammell: The LSC will be continuing to fund engagement provision throughout Gloucestershire in 2007/08 aimed at the same vulnerable learners that have been provided for through the access course. The local partnership team will shortly begin contracting discussions to take the work forward.

Written Questions: Administrative Delays

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he expects to answer questions  (a) 115508 on GCSEs tabled on 10 January 2007,  (b) 116080 on GCSEs tabled on 11 January 2007,  (c) 115509 on GCSEs tabled on 10 January 2007,  (d) 117405 on GCSEs tabled on 17 January 2007,  (e) 110498 on history and geography tabled on 17 January 2007,  (f) 110756 on data security in schools tabled on 18 January 2007,  (g) 110754 on the e-Learning credits tabled on 18 January 2007,  (h) 110753 on e-Learning credits tabled on 18 January 2007,  (i) 112155 on the 14 to 19 implementation plans tabled on 24 January 2007,  (j) 117653 on GCSE results tabled on 25 January 2007,  (k) 117650 on GCSEs tabled on 25 January 2007,  (l) 117655 on GCSEs tabled on 25 January 2007 and  (m) 117654 on GCSEs tabled on 25 January 2007, by the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton.

Jim Knight: The following table lists the current status of each PQ.
	
		
			  UIN Number  Status 
			 115508 Answered on 19 February,  Official Report, columns 441-43W. 
			 116080 Answered on 19 February,  Official Report, columns 443-44W. 
			 115509 Answered on 19 February,  Official Report, columns 441-43W. 
			 117405 Answered on 17 May,  Official Report, columns 854-56W. 
			 110498 Answered on 19 February,  Official Report, columns 440-41W. 
			 110756 Answered on 21 February,  Official Report, columns 766-67W. 
			 110754 Answered on 19 February,  Official Report, columns 438-39W. 
			 110753 Answered on 19 February,  Official Report, columns 438-39W. 
			 112155 Answered on 26 February,  Official Report, column 1017W. 
			 117653 Answered on 17 April,  Official Report, column 545W. 
			 117650 Answered on 21 May,  Official Report, columns 1068-72W. 
			 117655 Answered on 6 June,  Official Report, column 496W. 
			 117654 Answered on 6 June,  Official Report, column 496W.

Young People: Sexual Offences

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much was spent on therapeutic services for children and young people who display sexually harmful behaviour in 2006-07.

Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
	This specific information is not available. However, improving Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) is a priority for the Government. The commitment to improve CAMHS is backed up by significant additional funding, with over 400 million in the four years to March 2007 made available to local authorities and the NHS. Over 100 million has also been made available for 2007-08. An element of these funds will have been used on services for young people who have sexually abused and who need CAMHS.

Young People: Sexual Offences

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans the Government have to promote and implement the new national strategy on young people who sexually harm others.

Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
	The development of a cross Government National Policy Framework for the development of services for young people who sexually abuse is being led by the Department of Health and the Ministry of Justice. The framework will aim to use existing resources in a more coherent and consistent approach. A major focus is to build on and bring together what is known about the best practice and most effective treatment interventions so that practitioners at the local level can share these and define responsibilities more clearly. The intention is to publish this document by the end of the year.

Youth Opportunity Fund

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 15 May 2007,  Official Report, columns 672-75W, on the Youth Opportunity Fund, which local authorities made unsuccessful applications for funding from the  (a) Youth Opportunity Fund and  (b) Youth Capital Fund in each of the last two years; and for what reasons their applications were unsuccessful.

Parmjit Dhanda: No local authorities have been refused funding. Every local authority in England receives a grant funding allocation, based on the size of the local 13-19 population and indices of deprivation. It is up to the local authority to operate the funds within the conditions of the grant.

Youth Opportunity Fund

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 15 May 2007,  Official Report, columns 672-5W, on the Youth Opportunity Fund, what the reasons are for the regional disparities in local authority allocation for the  (a) Youth Capital Fund and  (b) Youth Opportunity Fund.

Parmjit Dhanda: Funds are allocated to all local authorities on the basis of the local 13-19 population and indices of deprivation. These produce different grant allocations for each LA area.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Cemeteries: Inspections

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many gravestones were deemed dangerous by inspectors in 2006.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 4 June 2007
	The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not consider the risk posed by toppling gravestones to be a priority as compared to other workplace risks. Therefore, HSE would only inspect a graveyard following a serious incident. There were no reported incidents that warranted an inspection by HSE in 2006.

Cemeteries: Inspections

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many graveyards were inspected by the Health and Safety Executive in  (a) 2006 and  (b) 2007.

Anne McGuire: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not consider the risk posed by toppling gravestones to be a priority as compared to other workplace risks. Therefore, HSE would only inspect a graveyard following a serious incident. There were no reported incidents that warranted an inspection by HSE in 2006.

Cemeteries: Inspections

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the minimum height is of a gravestone or memorial requiring inspection under Health and Safety Executive guidelines.

Anne McGuire: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not consider the risk posed by toppling gravestones to be a priority as compared to other workplace risks. Therefore, HSE has not produced any guidelines on this issue. Additionally, whether the gravestone is secure and the condition of the surrounding ground are the factors more likely to effect the stability of gravestones and memorials.

Cemeteries: Inspections

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many incidents of falling gravestones and memorials were reported to the Health and Safety Executive in each of the last 20 years.

Anne McGuire: Reliable data for the period requested are not available. However, the available data show that 21 serious accidents, caused by falling gravestones and memorials, were reported to the Health and Safety Executive over the last seven years.

Child Support Agency: Administration

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the processing of clerical Child Support Agency cases.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 11 June 2007:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make a statement on the processing of clerical Child Support Agency cases.
	In September 2006 the Agency transferred all of its clerical cases to the CSA Bolton site managed by Vertex. Cases are processed clerically when, due to technical issues, they cannot be progressed on our computer system. CSA Bolton is currently processing over 28,000 Agency cases, and has delivered more than 14m in maintenance payments since its launch in September 2006.
	Moving the clerical caseload to one site released a large number of Agency people to work on other important work outlined in the Operational Improvement Plan, including reducing the number of uncleared applications and strengthening enforcement. Over 400 Agency people have already been redeployed as a result of the contracting out of clerical casework.
	This is the first time any of the Department's agencies have contracted out core work on this scale and as with any significant change, some areas have not progressed as smoothly as we wanted. We have identified those areas where lessons can be learned for the future and are working hard to improve client service.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Children: Poverty

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of children were living in households below  (a) 60 per cent.,  (b) 50 per cent.,  (c) 40 per cent.,  (d) 30 per cent. and  (e) 20 per cent. of median income (i) before and (ii) after housing costs in at least three out of the last four years in each year since 1991.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 2 May 2007
	 The available information for children in households below 60 per cent. of median income is shown on pages 44-45 of the publication Low-Income Dynamics 1991-2004 (Great Britain) released by DWP in July 2006. This is available in the House of Commons Library.
	Information for children in households below lower thresholds of median income is not available because the sample sizes for these estimates are too small.

Employment: Lone Parents

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what level of lone parent employment he estimates will be required in order to meet the Government's child poverty target by 2010-11.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 18 April 2007
	 The Government's child poverty target can only be achieved through a combination of increased parental employment, financial support and high quality public services for children and their parents. No estimate has been made of the specific level of each component which would be necessary. The Government are committed to a target of 70 per cent. lone parent employment.

Housing Benefit

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received  (a) housing benefit but not council tax benefit,  (b) council tax benefit but not housing benefit and  (c) housing benefit and council tax benefit in each region in each year since 1997.

James Plaskitt: The available information has been placed in the Library.

Housing Benefit

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people receiving  (a) housing benefit but not council tax benefit,  (b) council tax benefit but not housing benefit and  (c) housing benefit and council tax benefit face benefit withdrawal rates of more than 40 per cent. against marginal income.

James Plaskitt: The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Numbers of people facing marginal deduction rates in excess of  40 per cent. 
			   Number 
			 Housing benefit but not council tax benefit 200,000 
			 Council tax benefit but not housing benefit 100,000 
			 Housing benefit and council tax benefit 200,000 
			  Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 100,000.  Source: Family Resources Survey

Housing Benefit

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average duration of a housing benefit claim was in each year since 1997.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available. Data on durations of housing benefit claims are not collected.

Housing Benefit

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the claimant  (a) on-flow rates and  (b) off-flow rates for housing benefit (i) have been since 1997 and (ii) are estimated to be in the period up to 2019-2020.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available.

Incapacity Benefit

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claimed  (a) incapacity and  (b) another inactive benefit on grounds of rheumatoid arthritis in (i) Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside, (iii) the north east and (iv) England in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: The information is not available.

Incapacity Benefit: Disqualification

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many benefit sanctions were imposed on incapacity benefit claimants in each quarter since 1997.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 26 February 2007
	Other than sanctions in relation to Pathways districts, the information is not available other than at disproportionate cost.
	For the available information on sanctions in relation to Pathways districts, I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given to him on 5 June 2007,  Official Report, column 349W.

Income Support: Lone Parents

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents have made repeat claims for income support in each month since January 1992.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 23 May 2007
	 The information is not available other than at disproportionate cost.

Industrial Health and Safety: Directors

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the legal responsibility of company directors for health and safety.

Anne McGuire: At the Government's request, in 2005 the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) undertook an evaluation of the effectiveness of the current arrangements on director leadership for health and safety. Following its evaluation, the HSC chair advised Ministers on how best to strengthen these arrangements. In particular, revised guidance for inspectors has been produced that clearly sets out when it is possible to prosecute a director; and new guidance on director leadership is being developed, under the oversight of a stakeholder steering group led by the Institute of Directors.

Industrial Health and Safety: Noise

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many venues on the Public Entertainment Licence Register were served improvement notices under section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to reduce the noise exposure of customers in each of the last five years.

Anne McGuire: The HSE does not record the number of improvement notices issued against venues on the Public Entertainment Licence Register and therefore the information requested is not available.

Industrial Health and Safety: Playgrounds

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many fatalities there have been resulting from play activities in public playgrounds in the UK in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: The Health and Safety Executive is aware of four fatal accidents arising from play activities in playgrounds since 1997. Of these, two involved playground equipment (swings, in 1997 and 1999), one occurred in a school playground during a sports lesson (in 2001), and the last occurred in a skateboard park (in 2003).

Industrial Health and Safety: Playgrounds

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recorded injuries, excluding fatalities, there have been resulting from play activities in public playgrounds in the UK in each year since 1997; and what the nature of these injuries was.

Anne McGuire: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what proportion of claims for jobseeker's allowance made by  (a) telephone,  (b) post and  (c) an online claim form have taken (i) up to four weeks and (ii) four or more weeks from receipt of claim to payment of benefit in the last 12 months;
	(2)  what proportion of claims for incapacity benefit made by  (a) telephone,  (b) post and  (c) an online claim form have taken (i) up to four weeks and (ii) four or more weeks from receipt of claim to payment of benefit in the last 12 months.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 4 June 2007
	The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 11 June 2007:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions asking about the proportion of claims to Jobseeker's Allowance and Incapacity Benefit made by telephone, by post and on-line that are cleared in under four weeks and over four weeks. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The information is not available in the format requested. The information that is available is contained in the following tables.
	
		
			  Jobseeker 's a llowancecumulative 12 months May 2006 to  April 2007 
			  Time band  Percentage processed 
			 One to 21 working days 84.2 
			 22 plus working days 15.8 
		
	
	
		
			  Incapacity b enefitcumulative 12 months May 2006 to April 2007 
			  Time band  Percentage processed 
			 One to 40 working days 92.3 
			 41 working days plus 7.7 
		
	
	We cannot identify the time taken to process claims by method of claim.

Pension Credit: North East Region

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what percentage of pensioners  (a) in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland,  (b) on Teesside and  (c) in the north-east are entitled to claim (i) the savings pension credit and (ii) the guarantee pension credit; and what percentage of those entitled to claim each credit do so;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the amount of unclaimed  (a) guarantee pension credit and  (b) savings pension credit (i) in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, (ii) on Teesside and (iii) in the north-east;
	(3)  many pensioners  (a) in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland,  (b) on Teesside and  (c) in the north-east are entitled to claim (i) the guarantee pension credit and (ii) the savings pension credit.

James Purnell: Estimates of eligibility and therefore take-up and amounts of unclaimed benefit are not available below the level of Great Britain. It is not therefore possible to say how many people are eligible to pension credit, what the take-up rate is or what amount of pension credit is unclaimed in the geographical areas specified in the questions.
	Latest estimates of the amount of pension credit left unclaimed and the number of pensioners who were eligible for pension credit in Great Britain were published in 'Pension Credit Estimates of Take-Up in 2005/2006'. A copy of the report is available in the Library.
	The following table shows the number of households in the north-east, Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency and Tees Valley district local authorities receiving pension credit.
	
		
			  Pension credit household recipients 
			  Region  Total  Guarantee credit only  Guarantee credit and savings credit  Savings credit only 
			  North-east  157,270  37,680  81,370  38,220 
			  
			  Tees Valley district local authorities 
			 Hartlepool 6,220 1,490 3,140 1,590 
			 Middlesbrough 8,290 2,330 4,170 1,790 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 8,100 2,100 3,970 2,030 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 9,260 2,340 4,520 2,400 
			 Darlington 5,510 1,460 2,670 1,370 
			  
			  Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency 5,140 1,230 2,630 1,270 
			  Notes: 1. The figure provided is an early estimate. The preferred data source for figures supplied by DWP is the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS). However, the figure provided is the latest available figure, which is taken from the GMS scan at 2 March 2007. These are adjusted using the historical relationship between WPLS and GMS data to give an estimate of the final WPLS figure. 2. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant postcode directory and are therefore based on the 2005 parliamentary boundaries. 4. Households are those people who claim Pension Credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household.  Source: DWP 100 per cent data from the Generalised Matching Service (GMS) Pension Credit scan taken as at 2 March 2007.

Social Security Commissioners

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the target time is for responses to queries referred to the Social Security Commissioners; and what the most recent figure is for the time taken to respond to such queries.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I have been asked to reply.
	We aim to deal with correspondence within 10 working days. Obviously this may depend upon the complexity of the query. The weekly statistics for week commencing 28 May 2007 show that 97 per cent. of correspondence was dealt within 10 days.
	I have been informed that the question is regarding a complaint. The MOJ definition of a complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction with service or facilities that needs a response. Our target for answering complaints is 10 days.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Building Regulations

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has produced on the circumstances in which registered installers must provide local authority building control departments with a certificate to state that the work undertaken complies with building regulations.

Angela Smith: Regulation 16A(3) of the building regulations 2000 (as amended) provides that persons carrying out work under self certification schemes shall, within 30 days of completion of the work, give the local authority a certificate of compliance with building regulations or notice to that effect.

Departments: Buildings

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost of leasing buildings and office space was for  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: The rent paid for the space occupied by Communities and Local Government, and its predecessor the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, on leased property for the last five years was approximately:
	
		
			   million 
			   Communities and Local Government  Planning Inspectorate Agency 
			 2002-03 21.56 1.58 
			 2003-04 22.83 1.57 
			 2004-05 22.77 1.56 
			 2005-06 19.79 1.56 
			 2006-07 19.38 1.56 
		
	
	The figures include payments direct to the landlord where Communities and Local Government is the leaseholder, and contributions towards rent to other Government Departments where Communities and Local Government is the minor occupier. The rent paid to landlords excludes the amounts which are either recovered from other Government Departments where they occupy CLG managed buildings or property that is sub-let. The Planning Inspectorate figure excludes the amount recovered from other Government Departments.
	This answer does not include land or buildings occupied by Government Offices, which carry out functions on behalf of 10 Government Departments.

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was received by her Department from the letting of its properties in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: The amounts received by Communities and Local Government, its agencies and its predecessor Department, in rent from lettings, including receipts from Crown Bodies, for each of the last five years was approximately:
	
		
			   million 
			   Communities and Local Government  Fire Service College 
			 2002-03 5.05 1.14 
			 2003-04 6.58 1.25 
			 2004-05 6.90 1.22 
			 2005-06 6.90 1.33 
			 2006-07 6.8 1.42 
			  Note: The figures include VAT where applicable. 
		
	
	This answer does not include land or buildings occupied by Government Offices, which carry out functions on behalf of 10 Government Departments.

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what properties the Department  (a) owned and  (b) rented in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: During the last five years Communities and Local Government and its predecessor Department has retained the following freehold properties: Old Burlington House, New Burlington House and Hangar 97 Little Rissington.
	The Fire Service College, an Executive Agency, occupies a freehold site owned by Communities and Local Government in Moreton in Marsh. The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, an Executive Agency, occupies a freehold site owned by the Department in Westminster.
	The Department leased the following properties:
	
		
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Ashdown House Victoria v v v v v 
			 Eland House v v v v v 
			 14th floor Portland House v 
			 16, 17, 18th floors Portland House v v v v  
			 Sheffield House Stevenage v v v v v 
			 Hempstead House v v v v v 
			 2 Victoria St Glossop v v v v v 
			 Building 3 BRE Garston v v v v v 
			 Unit B Interlink Park Bardon v 
			 Marchington v v v v v 
			 Marchington secondary site  v v   
			 West Point Manchester v v v v v 
			 Calthorpe House Birmingham v 
		
	
	The Planning Inspectorate, an Executive Agency has leased Temple Quay House in Bristol during these years.
	Properties are also occupied under minor occupancy agreements with other Government Departments. These include Exchange Tower, Allington Towers, Ashdown House Hastings, Temple Quay House Bristol, Stockley House, and Titchfield Hampshire.
	The current occupation of Portland House, Allington Towers and Stockley House are temporary while the Open Space Project, designed to improve the density of Eland House, is completed. This is planned for the end of this year.
	This answer does not include land or buildings occupied by Government Offices which carry out functions on behalf of 10 Government Departments.

Disabled People: Access

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she has taken to ensure that local authority planning departments work with local fire safety departments on the provision of disabled access rooms in multi-storey buildings.

Angela Smith: In England and Wales, where building work is being carried out the building regulations provide for access for disabled people under Part M (Access to and use of buildings) and means of escape in case of fire under Part B (Fire safety). There are statutory provisions, and associated guidance, for consultation between building control bodies and fire and rescue authorities. Guidance has also been produced to generally advise on providing suitable means of escape for disabled persons in the event of a fire. This guidance has been endorsed by the Disability Rights Commission. Different provisions apply in Scotland.

Home Information Packs

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department has taken to ensure that the work of home inspectors complies with article 8 of the Human Rights Act.

Ruth Kelly: The work of home inspectors will be contracted by home sellers on a voluntary basis and as such does not impinge on article 8 of the Human Rights Act.

Home Information Packs

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government from which budget her Department's advertising campaign to promote home information packs which commenced on 25 March was funded.

Ruth Kelly: The campaign to promote home information packs was funded from the home information pack programme's service budget.

Home Information Packs

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many home inspectors qualified to produce the energy performance certificates required in home information packs will be in place in time for the introduction of the packs on 1 June.

Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made to the House on 22 May 2007.

Home Information Packs

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will consult mortgage lenders on the possible requirements of both house sellers and house purchasers to obtain home information packs.

Ruth Kelly: Mortgage lenders have been consulted regularly throughout the development of home information packs. The Housing Act 2004 makes it clear that the responsibility to obtain a home information pack is on the seller.

Home Information Packs

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the consequences for home inspectors of her decision to phase in home information packs.

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  on what date the revised home information pack regulations are expected to be laid before the House;
	(2)  what the timetable is for home information packs to become compulsory for the marketing of domestic dwellings other than four bedroom homes;
	(3)  whether the Government intend to consult on the proposal that home information packs will be required for a four bedroom home from 1 August before that date.

Yvette Cooper: Regulations relating to home information packs and the energy performance of buildings are being laid before Parliament today. These regulations will implement home information packs, including energy performance certificates, on a phased basis in England and Wales from 1 August 2007.
	The Home Information Pack (no. 2) Regulations 2007 include a number of transitional provisions that the Secretary of State outlined to Parliament on 22 May 2007. These are intended to ensure that the implementation of HIPs will be achieved in a way that ensures the availability of sufficient assessors and inspectors.
	The Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2007 make the changes necessary to bring the implementation of energy performance certificates into line with home information packs from 1 August 2007.
	As well as the explanatory memoranda and impact assessments that accompany the regulations, we are placing in the House Library further information about how the operational delivery of the phased roll-out will take place, building on the current progress in the certification of inspectors and accreditation of assessors.
	Further consultation on the age of the Energy Performance Certificate will commence in due course.

Home Information Packs

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether a home information pack will be required if a home is repossessed and subsequently sold or auctioned.

Yvette Cooper: As announced last month, EPCs and HEPs will be phased in starting with four bedroom homes and larger propertiesrolling out to other sized properties once sufficient energy inspectors are in place, nationally and regionally to meet demand, taking into account market conditions and evidence from implementation. This will include the marketed sales of properties that may have been repossessed, assuming they are not covered by any other exceptions.

Home Information Packs

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps are being taken to prevent home and energy inspectors receiving financial inducements from householders or estate agents.

Yvette Cooper: HIs and DBAs are required to join approved accreditation schemes before working. All accreditation schemes have codes of conduct and systems in place to avoid conflicts of interest. There is a clear duty for accreditation schemes to ensure that checks including criminal records have been carried out as well as checks such as references. These checks are stronger than those carried out on other groups who have access to people's homes such as gas inspectors. We consulted the police who were content with this approach.

Home Information Packs

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) timetable is and  (b) terms of reference are for the consultation on energy performance certificates; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The Department will carry out a public consultation this summer on what, in the longer term, the maximum age of an Energy Performance Certificate within a Home Information Pack should be when residential property is first marketed for sale. This consultation will be in accordance with Cabinet Office guidance and include an impact assessment to estimate the costs and benefits for a range of validity periods from three months up to 10 years.

Housing: Energy

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 8 May 2007,  Official Report, column 124W, on housing: energy, how many  (a) domestic energy assessors and (b) home inspectors have failed their qualification examinations.

Ruth Kelly: holding answer 14 May 2007
	The overall pass rate for the three awarding bodies which offer the diploma in domestic energy assessment is 71 per cent.
	The overall pass rate for the two awarding bodies which offer the diploma in home inspection is 63 per cent.

Housing: Energy

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 8 May 2007,  Official Report, column 124W, on housing: energy, how many practising  (a) domestic energy assessors and  (b) home inspectors there are in each region in (i) England and (ii) Wales.

Yvette Cooper: The most recent data from home inspector certification schemes and domestic energy assessor accreditation schemes show the following information on certifications and accreditations by region. There are a small number who come from companies with national coverage or who have not provided a valid postcodethese have been categorised as 'not known'.
	
		
			  Government office region  Accreditations or certifications 
			 East Midlands 83 
			 East of England 136 
			 London 70 
			 North East 31 
			 North West 104 
			 South East 214 
			 South West 119 
			 Wales 50 
			 West Midlands 101 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 79 
			 Not known 63 
			 Total 1,050 
		
	
	Schemes have received a further 1,380 applications for accreditation. A total of 4,735 have now passed their exams.

Housing: Planning Permission

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has produced on the requirement for building control permission for the installation of an additional bathroom in a domestic dwelling which does not otherwise require planning permission.

Angela Smith: Part G of the building regulations (hygiene) requires any dwelling to have at least one bathroom with a fixed bath or shower; and the guidance in Approved Document G describes how sanitary conveniences, washing facilities etc. should be constructed and installed, whether located in the required bathroom or elsewhere. Building regulations apply to controlled building works irrespective of whether planning permission is required.

Housing: Waiting Lists

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many families are on waiting lists for housing; and how many of those are  (a) UK citizens and  (b) immigrants.

Yvette Cooper: Local authorities in England report the numbers of households (not families) on their housing waiting list as at 1 April in their annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix returns. However, information on how many  (a) UK citizens and  (b) immigrants are on waiting lists for housing is not held centrally.
	The number of households on local authority housing waiting lists, as at 1 April each year, is published on the Communities and Local Government website in Table 600. The link for this table is given as follows and a copy has been place in the Library of the House:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/pub/853/Table600_id1163853.xls

Planning

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations she received from non-governmental organisations representing planning and environmental concerns on the planning system prior to the publication of the planning white paper, Cm 7120; and what responses she made in each case.

Yvette Cooper: A number of non-governmental organisations representing planning and environmental interests wrote or e-mailed with their views on the Barker report on Land Use Planning and the Eddington Review of Transport Infrastructure. There was also a wide range of meetings, discussions, and events at which representatives of those organisations presented their views.
	The feedback we received from the range of events and representations from these organisations helped inform the development of the proposals which have now been put forward in the white paper Planning for a Sustainable Future (Cm 7120). There is an on-going process of stakeholder engagement in developing proposals for further reform of the planning system. We have invited views on a number of key proposals and other issues in the white paper and issued four consultation papers alongside the white paper on a number of detailed proposals. Formal consultation on these proposals will run until 17 August 2007.

Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder Fund

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library copies of the guidance to local authorities on  (a) bidding for and  (b) spending the funding from the Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder Fund.

Ruth Kelly: I have placed a copy of the guidance on the funding process ('Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder Fund: Guidance Note for Government Offices and Local Authorities in England', Feb 2007) in the Library of the House.

Public Service: Somerset

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of key workers living in  (a) Somerset and  (b) Taunton constituency.

Yvette Cooper: The Key Worker Living programme does not currently operate in the south-west region. Therefore, we have made no estimate of the number of key workers living in Somerset and Taunton.

Rented Housing

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the relationship between the number of buy-to-let properties and trends in rent levels in the private rental sector in  (a) Luton,  (b) Bedfordshire and  (c) England.

Yvette Cooper: Figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders show that the number of outstanding Buy-to-Let mortgages in England has increased from around 120,000 in 2000 to around 850,000 in 2006. Despite this increase, the private rented sector as a whole only increased over this period from about 10 per cent. to 12 per cent. of the total housing stock(1).
	Table 1 demonstrates that between 2000 and 2006 the number of BTL mortgages rose considerably more rapidly than the private sector rents index(1).
	(1)( ) Source: CLG Survey of English Housing.
	
		
			  Table  1( 1) 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Private sector rent index (Base 2000) 100 109 116 123 124 123 130 
			 Outstanding BTL mortgages index (Base 2000) 100 154 229 347 437 583 706 
			 (1) These figures are best viewed graphically. 
		
	
	In recent years, due to the increase in supply of private rented properties, driven by the growth in Buy-to-Let, private sector rents have not been rising as fast as house prices suggesting that the private rented sector provides a more affordable alternative to owner-occupation. This relationship is displayed in Table 2.
	
		
			  Table  2( 1) 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Private sector rent index (Base 2000) 100 109 116 123 124 123 130 
			 House price index (Base 2000) 100 110 128 149 165 173 182 
			 (1) These figures are best viewed graphically. 
		
	
	Information is not held centrally on the number of Buy-to-Let properties below the national level.

Valuation Office: Contracts

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether information held by Rightmove from home condition reports and home information packs will be included within the current and historic database that the Valuation Office Agency has access to under its ongoing contract with Rightmove.

Ruth Kelly: There is no requirement for information from home information packs to be placed on the Rightmove website. Only information that has previously been freely available to the public on Rightmove's website is accessed by the Valuation Office Agency.

Written Questions

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to reply to Question 137090, on home inspectors, tabled by the hon. Member for Cotswold on 9 May.

Ruth Kelly: I have now replied to the hon. Member's question.

TREASURY

Annuities: East Midlands

Annette Brooke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average time taken to process tax rebates for senior citizens with annuities through the Leicester and Northampton tax office was in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Balls: HMRC receives just under half a million repayment claims after the end of each tax year from customers who are outside PAYE or self assessment and who have had tax deducted from investment income, including retirement annuities. The Department aims to deal with 97 per cent. of repayment claims within 15 days and has exceeded this target during April and May 2007. Average time, or separate information for retirement annuitants or senior citizens, is not available. Recent changes mean that most retirement annuitants will no longer need to make annual claims.

Arthritis: Young People

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many children under the age of 16 years in  (a) the Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) the UK died from the juvenile form of rheumatoid arthritis in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many adults died in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) the UK from rheumatoid arthritis in each year since 1997.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 11 June 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent questions asking how many children under the age of 16 years in  (a) the Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) the UK have died from the juvenile form of rheumatoid arthritis in each year since 1997 (140826); and how many people have died in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) the UK from rheumatoid arthritis in each year since 1997 (140828). I am replying in her absence.
	The attached table provides the number of deaths from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in children under 16, rheumatoid arthritis (not juvenile) in persons aged 16 and over, and rheumatoid arthritis (either juvenile or not) in people of all ages, in  (a) Jarrow parliamentary constituency,  (b) South Tyneside local authority,  (c) North East government office region, and  (d) the UK, from 1997 to 2005 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Number of deaths with a cause of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (under 16 years) or rheumatoid arthritis (16 years and over),1 Jarrow parliamentary constituency. South Tyneside local authority, North East Government Office Region, and UK, 1997-2005( 2,3) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			  Jarrow parliamentary constituency  
			 Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (under 16 years) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Rheumatoid arthritis (16 years and over) 1 1 1 0 2 3 3 1 4 
			 All rheumatoid arthritis 1 1 1 0 2 3 3 1 4 
			  South Tyneside local authority  
			 Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (under 16 years) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Rheumatoid arthritis (16 years and over) 4 1 2 1 5 4 4 3 5 
			 All rheumatoid arthritis 4 1 2 1 5 4 4 3 5 
			  North East Government Office Region  
			 Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (under 16 years) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Rheumatoid arthritis (16 years and over) 49 43 30 32 58 58 53 37 55 
			 All rheumatoid arthritis 49 43 30 32 58 58 53 38 55 
			  United Kingdom  
			 Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (under 16 years) 0 1 2 1 1 0 2 2 0 
			 Rheumatoid arthritis (16 years and over) 900 870 796 818 1,133 1,115 1,036 921 970 
			 All rheumatoid arthritis 900 871 798 819 1,134 1,115 1,038 923 970 
			 (1 )Cause of death for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 714.0-714.9 and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes M05.0-M06.9, M08.0, M08.2, M08.3 and M08.9, where there was any mention of these codes on the death certificate, and the person was aged under 16 years. Cause of death for rheumatoid arthritis (16 years and over) was defined using ICD-9 codes 714.0-714.9 and ICD-10 codes M05.0-M06.9, M08.0, M08.2, M08.3 and M08.9, where this was recorded as the underlying cause of death, and the person was aged 16 years or over. The introduction of ICD-10 in 2001 means that the numbers of deaths from this cause before 2001 are not completely comparable with later years. (2) Based on parliamentary constituency and local authority boundaries as of 2007. (3 )Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Charitable Donations

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was raised for charities through payroll giving in the last year for which figures are available.

Stephen Timms: The amounts raised through payroll giving for years up to 2005-06 are published on the HMRC website in table 10.8:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/charities/menu.htm
	The table will be updated with the result for the year 2006-07 at the end of June 2007.

Child Benefit

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of raising child benefit for oldest children by  (a) 2,  (b) 4,  (c) 6,  (d) 8,  (e) 10,  (f) 12 and  (g) 14.

Edward Balls: The estimated annual cost of raising the rate of child benefit for the only or oldest qualifying child is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Estimated cost of increasing the rate of child benefit for eldest children 
			  Increase in weekly rate for eldest child ()  Annual cost ( billion) 
			 2 0.8 
			 4 1.5 
			 6 2.3 
			 8 3.1 
			 10 3.8 
			 12 4.6 
			 14 5.4

Child Benefit

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate how many children would be taken out of poverty assessed as 60 per cent. of median income if child benefit for oldest children was increased by  (a) 2,  (b) 4,  (c) 6,  (d) 8,  (e) 10,  (f) 12 and  (g) 14.

Edward Balls: Estimated impacts on child poverty in 2007-08 of raising the rate of child benefit for eldest children is shown in the following table .
	
		
			  Estimated impact on child poverty of increasing rate of child benefit for eldest children 
			  Increase in weekly rate for eldest child ()  Estimated reduction in child poverty in 2007-08 (thousand, OECD scale) 
			 2 50 
			 4 150 
			 6 150 
			 8 250 
			 10 300 
			 12 350 
			 14 400 
		
	
	Poverty is assessed as less than 60 per cent of median household income with reference to the modified OECD equivalisation scale; figures are rounded to the nearest 50,000.

Child Benefit

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the value of child benefit and tax credit payments made in relation to children from birth to 19 years old as an average for those eligible for such tax credits.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 4 June 2007
	The amount of financial support that a family will receive between the birth of a child and them leaving education will depend on families' circumstances and income in each year.
	For 2007-08, the maximum amount of financial support from the Child Tax Credit and Child Benefit is 3,330 a year for the first child and 2,475 a year for second and subsequent children, assuming there is no eligibility for disabled child elements or the under-ones family element.

Child Benefit: Migrant Workers

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether child benefit is payable to migrant workers living in the UK in respect of children living abroad in other (a) EU and  (b) non-EU countries; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: A person may not claim child benefit if he or she is subject to immigration control. Migrant workers cannot usually claim child benefit in respect of children living in a non-European economic area (EEA) country.
	However, benefits for EEA workers' familiesincluding child benefitare governed by European Community law. Consequently, migrant workers from other EEA member states or Switzerland may qualify for child benefit even if their children are resident in another EEA member state or Switzerland.

Crown Estate: Annual Reports

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the cost was of producing the Crown Estate's annual reports in each of the last three years;
	(2)  how much the Crown Estate spent on  (a) public relations and  (b) corporate hospitality in each of the last three years;
	(3)  what the staff costs of the Crown Estate's Communication Department were in each of the last three years.

John Healey: The information requested is given in the table:
	
		
			  000 
			   2004-05  2005-06 
			 Annual Reports (including Corporate Responsibility Report) 131 132 
			 Public Relations 443 462 
			 Corporate hospitality 10 6 
			 Communications Department 131 235 
		
	
	Financial information for 2006-07 is not yet available.

Crown Estate: Wind Power

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much income was received by the Crown Estate from wind-powered electricity generating installations situated offshore in each financial year since 2004-05.

John Healey: 181,000 in 2004-05 and 386,000 in 2005-06. Financial information for 2006-07 is not yet available.

Departments: ICT

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent by his Department on IT procurement in each year since 1997.

John Healey: The IT related procurement expenditure for financial years 2003-04 onwards was:
	
		
			million 
			 2003-04 1.30 
			 2004-05 3.27 
			 2005-06 3.04 
			 2006-07 2.36 
		
	
	Information on years prior to 2003-04 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Internet

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for which Government websites he is responsible; how many visitors each received in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the cost  (a) was of establishing and  (b) has been of maintaining each site.

John Healey: For previous answers referring to website costs and visitors I refer the right hon. Member to the answers given on 25 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1352W; 10 October 2005,  Official  Report, column 285W, 24 June 2004,  Official Report, column 1470W, 14 April 2003,  Official Report, column 548W, 22 October 2002,  Official Report, column 219W.
	The cost of establishing websites operated by the agencies and departments for which the Chancellor of the Exchequer is responsible, plus costs and traffic figures for each website during the 2006-07 financial year, are as follows:
	
		
			  Department/agency  Website address  Cost of establishing website ()  Maintenance costs 2006-07)()  Unique visits in 2006-07 (unless otherwise indicated) 
			 HM Treasury www.hm-treasury.gov.uk (1) 130,781 2,460,197 
			 HM Treasury specific sites thegfp.treasury.gov.uk Nil 7,993 68,050 
			  www.isb.gov.uk 68,573 11,750 (1) 
			  www.stakeholdersaving.gov.uk 83,145 (1) 13,629 
			  www.ges.gov.uk (1) (1) 212,331 
			  www.redbox.gov.uk 107,391 (1) (1) 
			  Sites hosted on shared server:  18,710.70  
			  www.gsr.gov.uk (1) (2)21,846 16,582 
			  www.policyhub.gov.uk (1) (2)25,487 350,932 
			  www.euro.gov.uk 9,602 11,985 245,000 
			  www.wga.gov.uk 500 (2)500 (1) 
			  www.csren.gov.uk (1) 18,711 9,311 
			  www.financialinclusion-taskforce.org.uk Nil n/a 3,399 
			  www.financial-reporting.gov.uk Nil n/a (1) 
			  
			 Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs www.hmrc.gov.uk (1) (1) 49,359,066 
			  www.businesslink.gov.uk (1) 841,667 (3)825,424 
			  
			 Debt Management Office www.dmo.gov.uk (1) (2)92,000 (4)49,645 
			  
			 OGC www.ogc.gov.uk (1) 250,000 1,163,088 
			 OGC buying solutions www.ogcbuyingsolutions.gov.uk (1) 87,879.01 669,209 
			  
			 Government Actuaries Department www.gad.gov.uk 18,286 676 293,317 
			  www.gadopss.gov.uk 20,680 14,616 (1) 
			  
			 Valuation Office Agency www.voa.gov.uk (1) (1) 817,847 
			  www.mybusinessrates.gov.uk 70,983 (2)2,585 112,573 
			  
			 National Savings and Investments www.nsandi.com 2,347,675 (2)247,125 14,960,510 
			  
			 Royal Mint www.royalmint.com (1) (1) 5,758,270 
			  www.rovalmint.gov.uk
			  www.royalmintwholesale.com
			 Office for National Statistics www.statistics.gov.uk (1) (2)1,017,195 7,464,654 
			  www.statistics.gov.uk/PBC
			  www.statistics.gov.uk/about
			  www.stats4schools.gov.uk (1) (2)2,250 67,524 
			  www.gro.gov.uk, and (1) (2)77,305 4,002,440 
			  www.gro.gov.uk/cip
			  www.eustatistics.gov.uk (1) (2)14,250 91,317 
			  www.ness.gov.uk (1) (2)100,000 1,638,102 
			  www.onsiobs.co.uk (new website) 19,550 Nil Nil 
			 (1) Unavailable (2) Staff costs are included (3) For April 2007 (4) Since November 2006 (5) To January 2007 (6) Inclusive of hosting for all ONS sites except onsjobs) (7) Responsibility for th is website transferred to the ONS during 2006-07  Notes: 1. These figures include all direct costs, for example web hosting, software support, and infrastructure 2. Staff costs are included where available. Where staff costs can only be established at disproportionate cost they are not included.

Departments: Marketing

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which items with his Department's logo were  (a) produced and  (b) bought by (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies in each year since 1997; and what the cost was of those items.

John Healey: The Treasury's accounting records do not distinguish between the cost of items that carry the Department's logo and the cost of those that do not. Therefore the information requested is not held.

Departments: Public Relations

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent by his Department on public relations in each of the last five years.

John Healey: I refer to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 24 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1064W. The Treasury does not record public relations expenditure as a separate category but a check of supplier and expenditure records for the financial year 2006-07 has revealed no payments to suppliers that are known to be public relations companies. A more comprehensive answer could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Freedom of Information: Regulation

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions  (a) he and  (b) other Treasury Ministers have had with the Ministry of Justice on amendments to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and associated regulations in the last six months.

John Healey: Treasury Ministers have discussions with a wide range of ministerial colleagues as part of the process of policy development and collective Cabinet responsibility. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions.

Incentives: Informers

James Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when his Office last exercised its prerogative power to reward an informer providing information that led to a recovery of money for the Crown.

John Healey: The last reward paid by HMRC for the recovery of cash was in March 2007.

Monetary Policy Committee: Public Appointments

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  in what circumstances Monetary Policy Committee members are  (a) invited to serve a second term and  (b) allowed to apply to serve a second term;
	(2)  what criteria he uses when deciding whether to re-appoint Monetary Policy Committee members.

John Healey: The Chancellor appoints members of the Monetary Policy Committee in accordance with the criteria laid out in the Bank of England Act 1998.

Monetary Policy Committee: Public Appointments

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many members of the Monetary Policy Committee have been appointed for a second term since 1997; and how many have served only one complete term.

John Healey: A full list of individuals that have served on the Monetary Policy Committee since 1997, alongside meeting attendance and voting records, is available from:
	http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetarypolicy/mpcvoting.xls
	Since 1997, two external members of the Monetary Policy Committee have served two full three-year terms. The remainder have served for one full three-year term.

Taxation: Charitable Donations

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what tax incentives are available to individuals wishing to make financial donations to arts institutions in the UK; and what the cost of these incentives was to the public purse in each of the last 10 years.

Stephen Timms: There are several tax incentives available to individuals wishing to make financial donations to arts institutions in the UK, provided the organisation is a registered charity. These include gift aid, payroll giving, relief on gifts of shares, securities and land and buildings. Gifts of assets to charities or for national purposes are also exempt from inheritance tax and capital gains tax. Guidance about tax effective giving by individuals to charities is available on the HMRC website at
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/charities/donors/tax-efficient.htm.
	It is not possible to ascertain the amounts of these reliefs in respect of arts organisations because HMRC records do not distinguish amounts repaid to or claimed by charities according to the type of charity. However, estimates of the aggregate costs of reliefs on donations to charities by individuals are published on the HMRC website at
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/charities/menu.htm.

Taxation: Insolvency

Colin Burgon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the implications of recent events at Leeds United Football Club for the effectiveness of the rules for the taxation of companies in administration.

John Healey: I cannot comment on the affairs of any particular taxpayer.
	When companies enter administration they remain liable to pay taxes. Their affairs come under the control of the administrator who should on their behalf pay taxes arising during administration as an expense of and subject to the assets available in the administration.

VAT: Overpayments

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases remain to be dealt with following the Michael Fleming/TA Bodycraft case; how many full-time equivalent caseworkers have been allocated to deal with these matters; and when such cases are likely to be concluded.

John Healey: As at 31 May 2007, 740 claims were being processed by HMRC following the Michael Fleming/TA Bodycraft case. A central team of four manages the handling of the claims but they are supported by many staff in other parts of the department who deal with the tax affairs of the relevant businesses. For this reason it is not possible to quantify the total resource allocated to this work.

Welfare Tax Credits

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to the public purse has been of implementing the  (a) child tax,  (b) working tax and  (c) pension tax credit schemes since inception; and what the cost has been of recovering overpayments for each scheme.

Edward Balls: The cost of introducing, managing and paying child and working tax Credits are published in note 3 of the trust statement to the Inland Revenue and HMRC annual report and accounts, for each year since their introduction. Information on payments of entitlement is also published in note 3 of the same publication, which is available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/annual reps.htm
	The cost of recovering overpayments of child and working tax credits is not available centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Pension credit is not a tax credit.

Welfare Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of people who are eligible but not claiming tax credits have incomes which are at or above 60 per cent. of median income;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the  (a) number and  (b) value of tax credit payments which would need to be made to increase the income of those people who are eligible for but not claiming such payments to 60 per cent. of median income.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 4 June 2007
	Estimates for the number of in-work families who were eligible but not claiming tax credits, by income used to calculate entitlement, is presented in table 4 of the publication Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit. Take-up rates. 2004-05. This is available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/takeup-rates2004-05.pdf
	No estimate has been made yet, which is consistent with the published statistics on tax credits take-up, of the position within the household income distribution of those families who are eligible but not claiming tax credits.

Welfare Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the next set of data on tax credit take-up rates will be released; and what official releases of data in relation to tax credits there will be in each month from June 2007 to June 2008.

Stephen Timms: No release date has been set as yet for the publication of the 2005-06 tax credit take-up statistics.
	Information on official release dates of HMRC Tax Credit National Statistic publications are detailed in the Annual Updating Plan, which is available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/updates/index.htm

Welfare Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of the potential annual saving from reducing the current tax credits disregard on income increases from 25,000 to zero; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 22 February 2007,  Official Report, column 851W.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were taken to court for non-payment of tax credit overpayments in each month from April 2003 to June 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 3 May 2007,  Official Report, column 2963W.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Subsidies

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 18 May 2007,  Official Report, column 965W, on agriculture: subsidies, when his Department expects to make the 2005 single farm payment to Mr. Francis, single business identifier number 106302271, a constituent of the hon. Member for Sittingbourne and Sheppey.

Barry Gardiner: Mr. Francis will be paid his 2005 single payment scheme payment within 28 days.

Animals: Circuses

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 1 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1457W, on animal: circuses, when he expects to announce the findings of his Department's Circus Working Group.

Ben Bradshaw: The Circus Working Group will shortly provide a report setting out its findings to DEFRA Ministers. We hope to have draft regulations available for full public consultation later this year, with the aim of them coming into force in 2008.

Cattle: Exports

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with dairy farmers on ending the export of live calves.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department is in regular contact, on a range of issues, with bodies that represent farmers.
	I am aware of the public concern over the trade in live calf exports. However, this is a lawful trade and European Union (EU) law must be observed. The United Kingdom (UK) cannot place a unilateral ban on the export of calves. The Government have consistently said that we prefer a trade in meat to the long distance transport of live animals to slaughter.
	Consequently, we are seeking to encourage the industry to develop alternative uses for calves other than live export, and welcome the joint initiative from Compassion in World Farming and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to bring together welfare groups, the dairy and beef industry and the retail sector to discuss this issue. They hosted an event last July which I attended.
	The industry has developed domestic veal rearing systems that satisfy robust welfare requirements, but the opportunities to sell the product in the UK are very limited while there remains strong commercial demand for veal calves on the continent. DEFRA recently commissioned a study to look at the economic drivers and potential for developing alternative markets to the export of veal calves. The report confirmed that the domestic market for home-produced veal is resistant to growth. It did, however, conclude that there are commercially attractive opportunities for rearing dairy calves for the growing domestic market for manufacturing beef. This is promising and DEFRA will continue to play its part in encouraging such alternative uses.

Coastal Erosion

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with his European Union counterparts on dealing with coastal erosion; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The Department meets regularly with European Union and other European counterparts at official level to exchange ideas on dealing with coastal erosion. Forums include, for example, the informal North Sea Coastal Managers Group. There have not been any recent official discussions at ministerial level, however I have discussed flood and coastal erosion issues informally with EU counterparts.

Coastal Erosion: Demolition

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what grants or financial assistance are available to those who are obliged to demolish their property due to coastal erosion; and what changes he plans to make to such provision.

Ian Pearson: In general, property owners are responsible for ensuring their buildings do not present a safety hazard. There are no grants available from central Government to assist with demolition.
	Approaches to helping communities adapt to a changing coastline are being considered in a project, under the cross-Government Making space for water programme, to assess the scale and effect of concerns and to develop a broader portfolio of options for addressing them. This includes looking at the current powers local authorities have in relation to helping communities at risk from a changing coastline.

Dolphins: Conservation

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department has taken to protect dolphins internationally.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 5 June 2007
	 The Department works with other countries, through the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas (ASCOBANS) toward the prevention of significant disturbance to cetaceans.
	The Department has implemented a comprehensive system of by-catch monitoring under the requirements of the EC Habitats Directive and Council Regulation 812/2004. In 2003, the UK was the first member state to publish a response strategy for the monitoring of small cetaceans by-catch. In December 2004, the UK banned pelagic pair trawling for bass by UK vessels within 12 miles off the south-west coast of England. The Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) regularly reports the results of its research on by-catch monitoring which covers all relevant UK fishery sectors, including the bass pair trawl fishery to the Department and has recently presented us with their 2006 findings. This report will be submitted to the European Commission and published on DEFRA's website in due course. The Commission evaluate all contributing member states' schemes.
	The Department also provides funding for the Institute of Zoology and Natural History Museum Cetacean (and Turtle) Strandings Scheme, which monitors and investigates porpoise and dolphin strandings around the UK. This long-running DEFRA-funded contract showed a slight increase in strandings around the UK coast in 2006 compared to 2005. The latest report is scheduled to be published soon and will be available on DEFRA's website.
	The latter two schemes have been extended until 2010.
	EU and DEFRA-funded SMRU work continues on by-catch mitigation measures in the bass pair trawl fishery. The final results will be presented to the European Commission in the next two to three months.
	The UK Government have also identified the potential benefits of acoustic devices such as pingers in reducing bycatch in fixed gear fisheries and argued successfully for these devices to be required in certain fisheries by EU legislation. Prior to enforcing the use of pingers under Council Regulation EC 8121 2004, the UK Government wants to ensure that those we recommend to be used are safe and cost effective for the industry and offer the maximum protection to porpoises.

Domestic Wastes: Waste Management

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what base year was used in calculations of local authority populations in his Department's new waste strategy for England; and what account has been taken of significant future population and housing growth in designated growth areas in setting targets.

Ben Bradshaw: The Waste Strategy is a national strategy for England as a whole and does not contain local targets. As such, no calculations were carried out which required data relating to local authority populations.
	The modelling that informed the setting of national targets for municipal solid waste assumed that the number of households will grow at 0.8 per cent. per annum until 2020. The national targets for reducing residual waste per head use the 2004-based principal population projections produced by the Government Actuary's Department (October 2005).

Elephants: Poaching

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his assessment is of  (a) the quality of the data produced by the Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants system and  (b) its ability to detect changes in poaching rates.

Barry Gardiner: I am satisfied that the standards established for the Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) system, together with the governance arrangements, including advice from the MIKE-ETIS Technical Advisory Group, ensure that the data gathered are of sufficient quality.
	Similarly, I am content that the data available to MIKE are fit for the purpose for which they are intended, namely:
	(a) to measure levels and trends in the illegal hunting of elephants;
	(b) to determine changes in these trends over time; and
	(c) to determine the factors causing or associated with such changes, and to try and assess, in particular, to what extent observed trends are a result of any decisions taken by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme on emissions of carbon dioxide in  (a) the UK and  (b) other participating nations in each year since its commencement; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The approved UK national allocation plan (NAP) for phase I (2005-07) of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme is set to deliver carbon dioxide emissions savings of around 65 million tonnes (roughly 8 per cent.) below the projected business as usual emissions of the installations covered by the scheme during phase I. The rationale behind emission trading is to ensure that the emission reductions take place where the cost of the reduction is lowest thus lowering the overall costs of tackling climate change. The emissions reductions referred to above may not therefore all take place in the UK.
	Comparing 2003 and 2005 emissions in the UK from incumbent installations in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme shows a reduction of around 10 million tones (Mt) of carbon dioxide (CO2). This equates to 4 per cent. However, a number of new installations commenced operation and entered the scheme in 2004 and 2005, emitting a total of around 5 Mt CO2 in 2005. Therefore, the net total reduction in emissions from UK installations (incumbent and new) in the EU ETS was approximately 5 Mt CO2 between 2003 and 2005.
	The 2006 EU ETS results in the UK show an increase in emissions from 2005 of 8.8 Mt CO2. This increase was due mainly to unusually high international gas prices leading to a switch to coal in electricity generation. It is difficult to assess what the level of emissions would have been if the scheme had not been in place, but they are likely to have been higher.
	A study carried out last year estimated that emissions reductions (abatement) across the EU resulting from the implementation of EU ETS in 2005 could be somewhere in the region of 50 Mt CO2 to 200 Mt CO2. We are not aware of similar analysis for 2006.
	The Government are committed to a strong and effective carbon market as a key factor in combating climate change. Phase I of the scheme is a learning phase and, for this reason, caution should be exercised when trying to draw conclusions from the results.

Ivory: Botswana

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the proposal by the Government of Botswana to allow the trade in stockpiled ivory on an annual basis; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: The Government of Botswana's proposals, for annual sales and an increase in the size of any one-off stockpile sale, are to be discussed in the course of the 14th Conference of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Parties. The UK, along with EU member states, is currently looking at these proposals. We are clear that an annual quota for certain Southern African countries could only go ahead after the one-off sale has taken place and in circumstances where that sale's impact on the conservation status and poaching of all elephant populations has been fully assessed.

Ivory: Botswana

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the proposal put forward by the Governments of Botswana and Namibia for the unlimited commercial trade in raw ivory at the forthcoming UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species conference.

Barry Gardiner: I am not aware of any proposals by the Governments of Botswana and Namibia for the unlimited commercial trade in raw ivory.

Ivory: Kenya

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the 20-year moratorium on the trade of ivory proposed by the Governments of Kenya and Mali for the forthcoming UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species conference; and whether this proposal will have the support of UK delegates.

Barry Gardiner: While I appreciate the reasons given for the proposed 20-year moratorium, I do not agree with the principle and the UK will therefore oppose the proposal. Such a position would be against the tenet of the Convention; that decisions are taken on the basis of the best available scientific and trade data available at the time. In practice, no worthwhile purpose would be served, as a moratorium could be reconsidered and reversed at any subsequent Conference of Parties.

Ivory: Trade

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment his Department has made of the level of the international illegal trade of elephant ivory.

Barry Gardiner: The UK has seen, and is satisfied with, the assessments of the level of the international illegal trade in elephant ivory made by the Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS). Indeed, since 2003, the UK has contributed 119,200 toward the ETIS programme.

Oil: Pollution

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 8 May 2007,  Official Report, columns 44-45W, on Oil: Pollution, whether he intends to pursue additional measures against oil pollution in those regions where the total number of private and commercial oil pollution incidents has risen between 2002 and 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The latest figures on oil pollution incidents show a clear downward trend in most English regions. This suggests that the measures in place are the right ones. The Environment Agency, as regulator, will consider whether additional enforcement action is required where the downward trend is not in evidence.

Oil: Pollution

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the targets set in the Guidance Notes for the Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) (England) Regulations 2001 of reducing oil related water pollution incidents by about half between 1999 and 2005 have been met; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: I understand from the Environment Agency that the reduction in oil-related pollution incidents between 1999 and 2005 is substantial. I shall write to the hon. Member when I have the precise figures from the Agency to confirm whether the target has been met. I will arrange for copies of the letter to be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Packaging: Recycling

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department has taken to encourage retailers to provide on-pack information about recyclability of packaging.

Ben Bradshaw: Most, if not all packaging is recyclable. Commission Decision 97/129/EC provides for numbering and abbreviations to identify packaging materials. While the marking system is voluntary, we would encourage manufacturers to use the markings, wherever possible, to aid the process of sorting and recycling of packaging waste.

Poultry: Auctions

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects it to be safe to allow poultry auctions to reopen.

Ben Bradshaw: At present, there are no bans on poultry auctions. The temporary ban on gatherings involving chickens and ducks during the recent case of low pathogenic H7N2 avian influenza was lifted on Friday 1 June. Bird gatherings, including auctions, can now proceed as before, subject to the usual biosecurity, notification and record keeping conditions in the general licence, which can be found on the DEFRA website.

Recycling: Regulation

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Government plan to review regulations for the operators of green waste recycling centres; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Environmental Permitting Programme, launched by DEFRA in partnership with the Environment Agency and Welsh Assembly Government, seeks to combine the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) and waste management licensing systems into a common permitting and compliance system.
	The new system, consisting of fewer, simpler rules and clearer guidance, will result in a simpler and more unified approach allowing industry, regulators and the public to focus more on environmental outcomes and less on how they are achieved. A simpler approach should allow businesses to more easily diversify into new areas of waste managementfor example, the new system will allow a waste operator to extend their site more easily.
	There is also an exemption from the need for a permit for smaller composting operations.
	All of the exemptions are currently being reviewed with the aim of revising them by April 2009.

Recycling: Voluntary Organisations

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the impact on voluntary sector recycling projects of the introduction by local authorities of twin bins.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 7 June 2007
	No such estimate has been made by my Department.

Waste Management

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what expenditure from the public purse on  (a) anaerobic digestion and  (b) composting of waste was in each of the last three years; what it is expected to be in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: My Department is providing a range of targeted support to help increase the UK's processing capacity for organic waste and develop markets for its end products. Projects are being delivered by DEFRA's Waste Implementation Programme, the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and the Environment Agency.
	 Composting
	DEFRA provided 3,266,000 in 2004-05, 3,587,000 in 2005-06 and 3,479,000 in 2006-07 for delivery of WRAP's Organics programme, which is aiming to increase the UK's composting capacity by 23 per cent. A further 6.4 million has been allocated for 2007-08. Funding for future years has not yet been decided.
	For every 1 spent within the Organics programme, an investment of approximately 2.80 has been made into the corporate industry by the private sector.
	WRAP's Home Composting Programme was allocated 7,045,000 in 2004-05, 13,085,000 in 2005-06 and 10,116,000 in 2006-07. A further 300,000 was awarded to WRAP in 2006-07 for their Food Waste Collection Trials and 110,000 has been allocated to them for their work on anaerobic digestion in 2007-08. The aim of this programme is to increase waste diversion through home composting, where local authorities are WRAP's main delivery partners.
	 Anaerobic Digestion
	The Waste Implementation Programme's 30 million New Technologies Programme, has contracted with four anaerobic, aerobic and in-vessel composting organisations to provide demonstrator projects. A total of 5,917,576 has been allocated to four plants.
	In addition, approximately 600,000 will be spent over the next two years on research and development projects running alongside each demonstrator.
	Expenditure over the last three years has been as follows:
	
		
			 
			 2004-05  0 
			
			 2005-06 Total 1,139,749 
			  Bioganix 125,348 
			  Envar 280,563 
			  Biocycle 733,838 
			
			 2006-07 Total 1,225,320 
			  Premier 911,263 
			  Bioganix 314,057 
			
			 2007-08 Total 3,022,004 
			  Bioganix 85,595 
			  Envar 788,596 
			  Premier 1,610,651 
			  Biocycle 537,162 
			
			 2008-09 Total 530,417 
			  Envar 152,417 
			  Premier 378,000 
			
			 2009-10  (1)0 
			 (1 )Projects are expected to be completed in 2008-09. 
		
	
	Under the auspices of the Methane to Markets partnership, DEFRA hosted a high-level international workshop in November 2006. Its objective was to identify the policies needed to grow markets for anaerobic digestion in order to reduce global levels of agricultural methane emissions. We contributed 58,241.96 to the cost of the event.
	DEFRA has also spent 52,000 in 2004-05 3,000 in 2005-06 and 132,000 in 2006-07 on research and development of anaerobic digestion. Resource allocation for future research has yet to be determined, but DEFRA is committed to ongoing funding for research in this area.
	Un-ringfenced funding is also provided to local authorities under the Waste Performance and Efficiency Grant, which is supporting new and more efficient ways to deliver waste reduction, increase recycling and divert waste from landfill. Local authorities are free to choose which projects they support to achieve these objectives. Local authorities received 45 million in 2005-06, 105 million in 2006-07. 110 million is allocated for 2007-08.

Waste Management

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Government plans to put in place targets for the anaerobic digestion of  (a) household organic waste and  (b) agricultural waste; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: My Department has no plans to set specific targets for anaerobic digestion. However, we are committed to making the most of the potential of anaerobic digestion to contribute to a number of our key objectives: reducing greenhouse emissions, improving air and water quality, and a growth in the production of renewable energy.
	The UK Biomass Strategy and the recently published Waste Strategy for England 2007 set out the important contribution which anaerobic digestion can make to achieving these objectives. Waste Strategy for England 2007 identifies anaerobic digestion as the preferred technology for recovering energy from waste and outlines measures to promote its greater uptake. It particularly encourages local authorities and businesses to consider using anaerobic digestion to treat separately collected food waste.
	In the Energy White Paper, the Government announced that we would be consulting on the banding of the renewables obligation. Under these proposals, electricity produced by anaerobic digestion would receive two renewable obligation certificates per megawatt hours.
	The Environment Agency has agreed to develop a standard for digestate in 2007-08. This will allow modern regulatory principles to be applied to the use of this material and bring certainty to when this material is considered to be fully recovered. This should help to facilitate the development of markets for digestate.

Waste Management

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of  (a) household organic and  (b) agricultural waste was (i) aerobically and (ii) anaerobically digested in each of the last seven years; how much he expects to be digested in 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The total organic household waste collected by local authorities in England for central composting since 2000 is shown in the following table(1). This is also expressed as a percentage of total household waste arisings. 2006-07 figures are not yet available. Based on an extrapolation from historical growth rates, the Waste and Resources Action Programme estimates the figure is likely to be between 2.9 million and 3.2 million tonnes.
	
		
			   Compost tonnages ( T housand tonnes)  As percentage of total household waste 
			 2000-01 798 3.2 
			 2001-02 954 3.7 
			 2002-03 1,189 4.6 
			 2003-04 1,362 5.4 
			 2004-05 1,960 7.6 
			 2005-06 2,439 9.6 
		
	
	DEFRA does not hold specific figures for the amount of waste that is aerobically or anaerobically digested. However, a report from the Composting Association estimated that less than 1 per cent. of total waste was composted at centralised sites using anaerobic digestion. This estimate is based on a sample of compost producers which responded to the Composting Association survey.
	Agricultural waste was not classified as controlled waste until the Waste Management (England and Wales) Regulations 2006 came into force on 15 May 2006, so no figures are available for management of agricultural organic waste. The Composting Association report(2) estimates that on-farm composting grew by 40 per cent. from 2003-04, from 0.25 million tonnes (Mt) to 0.35 Mt, but on-farm processing still represented just 13 per cent. of the overall organic waste processed in 2004-05.
	(1 )Municipal Waste Statistics
	(2 )'The State of Composting and Biological Waste Treatment in the UK, 2004-05'

Waste Management

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Department for Communities and Local Government on the implementation of joint waste authorities; and what estimate he has made of the number of local authorities likely to adopt such schemes.

Ben Bradshaw: My officials and I have held a number of discussions with our counterparts in the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) on proposals to allow local authorities to work together to deliver waste services, through the establishment of statutory joint waste authorities.
	The Secretary of State for the Department for Communities and Local Government (Ruth Kelly) announced the Government's intention to introduce these powers in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill on the 22 January.
	No estimate has been made by my Department on the number of local authorities likely to apply to create a joint waste authority.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Aung San Suu Kyi

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps she is taking in response to the ongoing imprisonment of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Geoff Hoon: We have repeatedly condemned the continuing detention of Aung San Suu Kyi. My right. hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary issued a statement on 26 May condemning the Burmese government's decision to extend Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest by a further year and called for her release and that of all other political prisoners in Burma. The EU also released a similar statement on 25 May.
	On 28 May, my right hon. Friend the Minister for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs, (Mr. McCartney), met the Burmese Foreign Minister at the Asia/Europe Foreign Ministers meeting in Hamburg and called again for the Burmese government to release Aung San Suu Kyi.
	With the UN and other key partners, we will continue to press for an open and inclusive political process in Burma, and an improvement in the human rights situation. The release of Aung San Suu Kyi is central to both objectives.

Chagos Islands

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further action the Government plans to take in relation to  (a) compensation and  (b) repatriation for the Chagos Islanders; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: The Chagossians have already received compensation to the value of 14.5 million at today's prices through two payments made in the early 1970s and 1982. They were also given the right to apply for British citizenship by the British Overseas Territories Act 2002.
	In 2004, the Court of Appeal, following a two year litigation, confirmed the decision of Mr. Justice Ouseley in rejecting all claims by the Chagos Islanders to additional compensation from the Government.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary will consider the 23 May judgment of the Court of Appeal carefully. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary reserves the right to petition the House of Lords to grant permission to appeal, as she is entitled to do within one month. The Government's policy in relation to the British Indian Ocean Territory therefore remains the subject of possible ongoing legal proceedings and it would be inappropriate to comment further.

Chagos Islands

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on the return of the Chagossians to the Chagos Islands following the Court of Appeal ruling that the orders in council preventing them from returning were unlawful.

Geoff Hoon: The Court of Appeal handed down its judgment on the 2004 Orders in Council on 23 May. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary will consider it carefully and reserves the right to petition the House of Lords to grant permission to appeal, as she is entitled to do within one month.
	The Government's policy in relation to the British Indian Ocean Territory therefore remains the subject of possible ongoing legal proceedings and it would be inappropriate to comment further.

Chechnya

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the situation in Chechnya; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: We monitor the situation in Chechnya and the wider north Caucasus regularly. Recent years have seen a gradual improvement in the security situation in Chechnya, resulting in the UN downgrading its security classification for Chechnya from Phase 5 to Phase 4 in August 2006. But the security situation in neighbouring Ingushetia and Dagestan is increasingly concerning.
	The death of Shamil Basayev in 2006 was followed by an amnesty under which over 500 rebel fighters were reported to have surrendered, creating the opportunity for a process of reconciliation that could underpin long-term security. Although the general security trend is positive and large-scale military action by federal troops has now ceased, low-intensity clashes with separatist groups continue to be reported.
	We believe that the best prospect for political stability in the republic is for the federal and local authorities to work together towards democratic accountability of government structures and to address the social and economic needs of the population.
	We remain concerned about reports of human rights abuses in the north Caucasus. There are reports of forced disappearances, torture and extra-judicial killing in the republic. We believe that security measures which do not respect international human rights law are counter-productive and that a long-term solution to the region's problems is only possible once an end has been put to human rights violations. It is important that President Kadyrov ensures that all government agencies operate within the law and that all security measures are combined with a full respect for human rights.
	The situation in Chechnya and the wider north Caucasus remains an issue of importance in our continuing bilateral and EU discussions with Russia. With EU partners, we raised the latest developments in Chechnya with the Russian government at the EU-Russia Human Rights Consultations on 3 May.
	The Government are also active in assisting development in the north Caucasus through individual projects supported by the global conflict prevention pool, our bilateral 1 million north Caucasus education initiative, and the 20 million technical aid to the Commonwealth of independent states special assistance programme, which was agreed under the UK's EU presidency in 2005.

Departments: Ministerial Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of her Department's special advisers were on  (a) paid and  (b) unpaid leave in order to assist with party political matters under section 22 (iii) of the code of conduct for special advisers on 16 May 2007; and how many days' leave each adviser was granted.

Margaret Beckett: Special advisers' involvement in party political matters is conducted in accordance with the requirements of the code of conduct for special advisers, including section 22 (iii), and the guidance issued by the Cabinet Secretary in December 2006 and May 2007, copies of which are in the Libraries of the House.

Ethiopia: Political Prisoners

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further steps she has taken since October 2006 to secure the release of Kifle Tigneh Abate and other opposition political leaders being detained by the Ethiopian government; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: We continue to make representations to the Government of Ethiopia to ensure that the continuing trials of all opposition political leaders, including Kifle Abate, are swift, transparent and fair, and that their individual human rights are respected.
	On 11 December 2006 our Ambassador in Addis Ababa raised the case with the Ethiopian Minister and State Minister for Justice. On 3 January and 26 May he met Kifle Abate's wife to discuss his ongoing trial.
	Our Ambassador in Addis Ababa has raised the opposition trials with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi on several occasions, most recently on 11 May.
	Embassy officials in Addis Ababa continue to monitor Kifle Abate's trial. At the last hearing on 14 May, the judges dismissed the charge of attempted genocide against him and released 14 of his 32 co-defendants. The court will reconvene on 19 October to consider the charge of outrage against the constitutional order.

EU Constitution Treaty

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had on the EU constitutional arrangement; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: EU institutional reform will be discussed at the European Council on 21-22 June. We expect the presidency to issue a report on its consultations with member states before the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council on 18 June.
	We have made clear to partners our belief that the EU should return to the model of an amending Treaty. The principles behind the Government's approach remain those set out in my written ministerial statement of 5 December 2006,  Official Report, columns 10-11WS.

EU Constitution Treaty

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Department's policy is on transferring additional powers to the European Union as part of any new constitutional treaty; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: EU institutional reform will be discussed at the European Council on 21-22 June. We expect the presidency to issue a report on its consultations with member states before the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council on 18 June.
	We have made clear to partners our belief that the EU should return to the model of an amending treaty. The principles behind the Government's approach remain those set out in my written ministerial statement of 5 December 2006,  Official Report, columns 10-11WS.

Foreigners: Crimes of Violence

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what account is taken of past convictions for violent crimes when considering whether to issue visas to foreign nationals.

Kim Howells: In accordance with paragraph 320(18) of the Immigration Rules, an Entry Clearance Officer will normally refuse an entry clearance application if the applicant has been convicted of an offence in any country, which, if committed in the UK, would be punishable by imprisonment of 12 months or more.

Iran: Afghanistan

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received of Iran's decision to expel illegal Afghan migrants; and what steps she plans to take in response in Afghanistan.

Kim Howells: We have received a number of reports from our embassies in Tehran and Kabul about the expulsion of illegal Afghan immigrants from Iran. The Iranian Government estimates that there are about 1 million unregistered Afghans in Iran who do not have refugee status and it has made it clear that it intends to expel them. Iran is also host to 1 million documented Afghan refugees.
	In mid April the Iranian authorities launched a repatriation campaign for these illegal refugees, focusing particularly on moving them out of Iranian Sistan-Baluchistan (with the movement of 3,000 refugees from Iran into the Afghan province of Nimroz in the first month of the campaign).
	Against a backdrop of public and parliamentary disquiet the Government of Afghanistan is looking at ways to manage the situation. It has convened its National Emergency Response Commission, with the Refugee Ministry in the lead. The Afghan Foreign Ministry is in discussions with Iran to ensure better procedures to deal with the return of Afghan nationals.
	We remain in touch with the Government of Afghanistan and office of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees on this issue.

Iran: Nuclear Programme

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what International Atomic Energy Agency supervision the Iranian Government would be required to accept in order for the UK Government to be satisfied that uranium enrichment in Iran would be confined to entirely peaceful purposes; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: After many years of hiding its nuclear programme from the world, Iran needs to satisfy the international community, and not just the UK, that its programme is for purely peaceful reasons. The generous and far-reaching proposals presented to Iran on behalf of the E3+3 (France, Germany, UK + China, Russia, US) by Dr. Javier Solana in June 2006 would give Iran everything it needs to develop a modern civil nuclear power programme. These remain on the table and we stand ready to negotiate with Iran on the basis of these. But Iran first needs to suspend its enrichment-related activities, as repeatedly required by the UN Security Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors, to gain the confidence of the international community.
	We will not be satisfied that Iran's nuclear programme is for entirely peaceful purposes until Iran meets in full the requirements of the international community. These include Iran's obligations under UN Security Council Resolutions 1696, 1737 and 1747, as well as the requirements under IAEA Board of Governors decisions and resolutions. In particular, as the Director-General of the IAEA has stated many times, unless Iran addresses the long outstanding verification issues, and implements the Additional Protocol which it has agreed with the agency, as well as essential transparency measures, the IAEA will not be able to fully reconstruct the history of Iran's nuclear programme and provide the international community with assurances about the exclusively peaceful nature of that programme. The Director-General has also stated that these required transparency measures would need to go further than the measures prescribed in the Safeguards Agreement and Additional Protocol, given the 20 years of undeclared nuclear activities in Iran. In the Director-General's most recent report on Iran on 23 May, he noted that the agency's level of knowledge of certain aspects of Iran's nuclear related activities had deteriorated over the past year.

Iran: Nuclear Programme

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response she has made to proposals for  (a) further incentives for Iran to suspend Iranian enrichment and  (b) a further round of sanctions against the Iranian regime; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: The report by the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Dr. ElBaradei, of 23 May made clear that Iran had not complied with UN Security Council Resolution 1747. As envisaged in the resolution, the Security Council will respond accordingly and will adopt further sanctions on Iran. We remain committed to the twin-track approach and stand ready to enter negotiations with Iran, once they comply with the Security Council Resolutions and the IAEA Board of Governors, on the basis of the generous and far-reaching proposals presented to Iran by Javier Solana in June 2006 on behalf of the E3+3 (France, Germany, UK + China, Russia, US).

Iraq: Foreign Relations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in setting up co-operation programmes between Iraq and its neighbours on  (a) border security,  (b) energy and  (c) refugees.

Margaret Beckett: Following agreement at the Iraq Neighbours Conference on 4 May, we understand that the Government of Iraq plans to hold the first meetings of the working groups on energy, security and refugees between 5-15 June.

Iraq: International Assistance

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what body will have responsibility for the co-ordination and monitoring of the international compact with Iraq; and when this body is planned to be formed;
	(2)  if she will make a statement on the broader international assistance in the development of Iraqi security forces which is described in the international compact with Iraq; which countries are to be involved; and what form this assistance is to take;
	(3)  how often and at what level the participants in the Iraq compact are expected to meet; and if she will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: I have been asked to reply.
	The international compact for Iraq (ICI) is an opportunity for the Government of Iraq to set out its economic and political priorities for the next five years, with the help of the United Nations and the international community. It will develop the key reforms necessary to enable Iraq to make the most of its own resources and build a strategy for longer-term growth. The focus will be to build a framework for Iraq's economic transformation and integration into the regional and global economy. Its scope will cover short-term and long-term economic goals to enable Iraq to become financially self-sufficient, in order to ensure economic development and sustainable growth. The UK is pleased that the Government of Iraq is tackling these important issues and we hope that regional and international partners will support their efforts.
	The Security context of the compact stresses the importance for the Government of Iraq to work with international partners to develop the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF). Security assistance is provided to Iraq under the auspices of the multi-national force for Iraq. This force is in Iraq at the request of the Iraqi government and is mandated by UN Security Council Resolutions 1546 and 1723 to develop stability and security in that country; 25 countries contribute to it, all with the common objectives of helping to provide security, training and mentoring to the Iraqi security forces until they are fully able to manage the security situation.
	Implementation of the compact priorities will be overseen by the compact secretariat which was established on 28 May in Baghdad. The secretariat will operate out of the Deputy Prime Ministers' Office and will be supported by a Steering Committee and a number of sector working groups. The secretariat will be responsible for coordinating, implementing and monitoring performance of the policies and reforms laid out in the joint monitoring matrix.
	The Government of Iraq plans to meet regularly with the international community to keep them updated on progress. They will produce monthly/quarterly reports on progress against indicators in the compact. Such reports will be passed for discussion to the Baghdad coordination group (BCG), which includes all participants in the Iraq compact based in country. There will also be regular meetings with donors as part of sector working group discussions.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made of the impact of the US surge strategy for Baghdad on security levels in the city; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: The increase in US forces in Baghdad and the surrounding provinces, as part of the Multinational Force in Iraq, is intended to support the Iraqi-led Baghdad Security Plan, which also involves the deployment of additional Iraq security force personnel as well as a range of political and economic activities. It would be premature to judge the success of the plan before all the additional US forces are in theatre.
	Ultimately, the strategy is designed to create the political space necessary for progress by the Government of Iraq and other Iraqi parties and communities on national political issues, including reconciliation. We continue to provide encouragement and practical support for this process.

Iraq: National Reconciliation Plan

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent progress has been made in establishing a national dialogue and reconciliation in Iraq.

Margaret Beckett: High levels of violence have undermined progress on the Iraqi Government's national reconciliation plan published last year, but reconciliation and power-sharing between Iraq's different communities remains central to the country's future. We welcome the establishment of an Executive Council comprising Prime Minister Maliki, President Talabani and the two Vice-Presidents, which first met on 15 May. The Council will allow for high-level cross-sectarian oversight of, and co-operation on, key policy issues.
	The Iraqi Government is conducting dialogues with various opposition groups and tribes, and there is evidence of Sunni tribes in Anbar Province working with the authorities to confront al-Qaeda in Iraq. We are also encouraged by the constructive approach taken by all representatives on the Constitutional Review Committee, which is considering issues central to reconciliation, including federalism and distribution of resources. We hope that the recent Iraq Neighbours Meeting in Sharm el Sheikh will lead to greater regional support for the reconciliation process.

Islam: Democracy

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps she is taking to promote and embed democracy in the countries of the Islamic world; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: We support efforts to promote democratic principles in the Islamic world, including through our contacts with governments and civil society, and projects both bilaterally through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Global Opportunities Fund and multilaterally, including through the G8-Broader Middle East and North Africa and Euromed processes.

Kyrgyzstan: Diplomatic Service

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans she has to improve consular services in Kyrgyzstan; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: The Government retain the services of an honorary consul in Bishkek, overseen by our embassy office in Almaty. The honorary consul is trained to provide consular services and assistance to British nationals who find themselves in need. The current level of demand for these services does not indicate that any increased resource is needed at present, but the situation is kept under review.

Lancaster House

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many  (a) conferences and events and  (b) visitors there were at (i) Lancaster House and (ii) Marlborough House in each of the last five years.

Geoff Hoon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) hosted the following conferences/meetings and functions at Lancaster House in the period 2002-06.
	
		
			   Conferences/Meetings  Functions 
			 2002 29 65 
			 2003 23 51 
			 2004 29 64 
			 2005 38 59 
			 2006 27 44 
		
	
	Although the FCO arranges occasional informal tours of Lancaster House no statistics are kept on the number of visitors.
	The FCO does not have responsibility for the management of Marlborough House, which is carried out by the Commonwealth Secretariat. No FCO events were hosted there from 2002-06.

Lebanon: Armed Forces

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support the UK is giving to the Lebanese armed forces.

Margaret Beckett: The UK is committed to helping Lebanon to implement UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1701. As part of this, we spent approximately 1 million to support the Lebanese security sector, including the Lebanese armed forces (LAF), last financial year (2006-07). This included providing 47 Land Rovers to the LAF to increase their mobility and their capacity to implement UNSCR 1701. Our current programme of assistance includes a security sector advisor, public order training and equipment and human rights training for the LAF. We plan to maintain our engagement with and support of the LAF going forward.

Lebanon: Islamic Extremists

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received of the  (a) origin,  (b) affiliation and  (c) role of extremist Islamist groups in Lebanon; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: The Government have received reports on the origin, affiliation and role of Islamic extremist groups in Lebanon from a range of different sources. These include diplomatic, intelligence, press and academic reports.
	We judge that there are a number of extremist Islamist groups operating in Lebanon, of different affiliations and with different and constantly changing allegiances and objectives. Hezbollah is the main force among the Shiite population. There are also several small extremist Sunni groups operating in Lebanon; this includes Fatah Al Islam.
	We continue to be concerned by the presence of such groups in Lebanon and their effect on the country's long term stability. We support full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1559 which calls for the disbanding and disarmament of all militias in Lebanon.

Lebanon: Politics and Government

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals have been put forward by the United Kingdom to resolve the impasse over the formation of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: The UK is determined that those responsible for the assassination of Rafik Hariri should be brought to justice. In November 2006, with the UK's support, the then UN Secretary-General wrote to Prime Minister Siniora inviting the Lebanese Government to approve statutes for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. In the context of the political impasse in Lebanon this was not possible, and Prime Minister Siniora and the Lebanese parliamentary majority wrote to the UN Secretary-General asking him to explore alternative ways forward. We have since worked with Security Council partners to assist Lebanon in setting up the Tribunal. UN Security Council Resolution 1757, formally establishing the Tribunal, was successfully passed on 30 May. We will work towards its full implementation.

Lebanon: Politics and Government

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place with the Government of Lebanon on initiatives to make political progress in Lebanon; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: The Government have remained in regular contact with the Government of Lebanon throughout the political crisis of recent months. My hon. Friend the Minister for the Middle East, (Dr. Howells), and I have both recently visited Lebanon to show our ongoing support for the democratically elected Government and to discuss ways forward with both the Government and opposition. The UK is also active on the ground through our ambassador in Beirut. The UK has supported a number of regional and international efforts by Saudi Arabia, the Arab League and the UN to resolve the crisis. We continue to call on all sides in Lebanon to show flexibility and engage constructively to resolve the current political impasse.

Lebanon: Sanctions

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries are believed to be breaching the UN arms embargo on Lebanon set out in UN Security Council Resolution 1701(2006); and what recent steps have been taken to improve the implementation of the arms embargo.

Margaret Beckett: In March, the UN Secretary-General reported that there was mounting evidence that Hezbollah was rearming and smuggling arms across the Syria/Lebanon border in breach of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1701. While the UN Secretary-General's report did not specifically identify the supplier of these arms, we continue to judge that both Syria and Iran are involved in providing Hezbollah with weapons in breach of UNSCR 1701. This is a serious concern.
	The UK continues to work for the full implementation of UNSCR 1701. Bilaterally, the UK has provided the Lebanese armed forces with 47 Land Rovers to increase their mobility and capacity to implement UNSCR 1701. We are also supporting a German-led initiative to improve Lebanese border monitoring capacity.
	The UK fully supported the UN Security Council decision to mandate a border assessment mission to visit Lebanon. The Lebanon Independent Border Assessment Team is currently in Lebanon assessing the current border security arrangements in support of UNSCR 1701. On its return, the team will provide recommendations to both the Secretary-General and the Government of Lebanon for improving the security of the Syria/Lebanon border.

Lebanon: Sanctions

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what UN mechanisms exist for the review of the implementation of the restrictions set out in UN Security Council Resolution 1701(2006).

Margaret Beckett: The UN Secretary-General is required to report on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1701 every three months. The UK fully supported the UN Security Council decision to mandate a border assessment mission to visit Lebanon. The Lebanon Independent Border Assessment Team is currently in Lebanon assessing the current border security arrangements in support of UNSCR 1701. On its return, the Team will provide recommendations to both the Secretary-General and the Government of Lebanon for improving the security of the Syria/Lebanon border.

Mexico: Overseas Trade

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps she plans to take to increase contacts and trade with Mexico.

Geoff Hoon: The UK's relationship with Mexico has broadened and deepened over recent years and contacts have increased. We expect this to continue, not least through Mexico's participation in the G8 plus five outreach group.
	We now hold annual high level talks and in 2007 will introduce annual economic talks at senior official level. Ministers and officials also hold many other meetings with their Mexican opposite numbers. In January, President Calderon visited the UK. His programme included meetings with my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer and in addition key UK business leaders through a Confederation of British Industry event. During the visit my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met with Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa.
	Most recently, my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, met Mexican Foreign Minister Espinosa on 20 April at the EU Rio ministerial meeting in Santo Domingo. In addition, officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs visited Mexico City in April to discuss UK/Mexico co-operation on sustainable development and climate change. We also liaise closely with the Mexicans over their role on the G8 plus five outreach group.
	On the trade front, UK Trade and Investment's (UKTI) strategy 'Prosperity in a Changing World' has a particular focus on deepening our trade and economic relationship with emerging markets, and Mexico is identified as one such emerging market. As a result, UKTI's network in Mexico has been increased by five members of staff. Mexico has also been identified as a potential source of inward investment and has a new dedicated inward investment team based in Mexico City.

Middle East

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2006,  Official Report, column 1511W, on the Middle East, what proposals the UK has put forward for the strengthening of the Lebanese border with Syria; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: The Government continue to attach importance to strengthening the Lebanon/Syria border in the context of implementation of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1701. The UN Secretary-General has recently voiced his concerns about arms smuggling across the border.
	The UK fully supported the UN Security Council's decision to mandate a border assessment mission to visit Lebanon. The Lebanon Independent Border Assessment Team is currently in Lebanon assessing the current border security arrangements in support of UNSCR 1701. On its return, the team will provide recommendations to both the Secretary-General and the Government of Lebanon for improving the security of the Syria/Lebanon border. We are also supporting a German-led initiative to improve Lebanese border monitoring capacity and bilaterally with the Lebanese armed forces to build their capacity.

Middle East: Gaza Strip

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on the security situation in the Gaza Strip.

Margaret Beckett: We are very concerned by the on-going violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Since 13 May, when Palestinian factional violence erupted, over 45 Palestinians have been killed. Two Israelis have been killed in Qassam rocket attacks, and over 45 Palestinians, including seven children, have been killed in Israeli air force air strikes since 17 May. We welcome Palestinian President Abbas' efforts to restore calm and hope that all sides can exercise restraint. The cycle of violence and the humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories underlines the need for the current on-going political processes. We welcome the fortnightly discussions between Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas as well as US Secretary of State Rice's recent efforts and those of the Arab League.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any progress has been made by the Palestinian Authority towards meeting the Quartet conditions; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: We will judge the Palestinian Government by its platform and actions and respond accordingly. We have always been willing to work with anyone who endorses the Quartet (EU, US, UN and Russia) principles: renunciation of violence; recognition of Israel; and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations. The US and EU also support this position. No Hamas members of the current Government have yet made clear that they have accepted these principles. We are working with those members of the Government who do.

Pakistan: Security

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the security situation in Pakistan; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The security situation in Pakistan remains fragile. There is a high threat from terrorism and sectarian violence throughout the country. Internal security in the border provinces remains volatile, where there has been a series of recent attacks and suicide bombings targeted against both the authorities and the public. Since March, following the Government of Pakistan's decision to suspend the Chief Justice, there have also been frequent, sometimes violent, protests in major cities throughout the country.
	We are closely following the situation and will amend Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice if we assess that the security situation has changed.

Palestinians: Security Forces

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support the UK is providing to assist the strengthening of the Palestinian security forces; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The UK has seconded staff to the EU Police Mission in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and EU Border Assistance Mission Rafah and the US Security Co-ordinator General Dayton. In addition, we have provided non-lethal equipment to the presidential guard and radio equipment to the Palestinian civil police.

Poland: Environment Protection

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government intends to make an intervention to the European Court of Justice in the case of the European Commission and Poland, on the construction of those parts of the Augustow and Wasilkow road bypasses that will pass through the Rospuda Valley and Knyszyn Primeval Forest; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: In April, the European Court of Justice ordered interim measures halting construction work, and a date to be fixed for a hearing to clarify factual matters. If the case goes to a full hearing, once details are published in the Commission's Official Journal, we will consider whether to intervene.

Russia: Estonia

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government have made to  (a) Russia and  (b) Estonia on the recent confrontation over the movement of a war memorial; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not made any recent representations to either the Russian or Estonian governments on the dispute over the relocation of the Bronze Soldier war memorial. The Estonian Foreign Minister briefed my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and other EU Foreign Ministers on relations with Russia at the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council on 14 May. The Government fully support the EU Presidency and NATO statements, which expressed grave concern over the safety of the Estonian embassy and its staff in Russia, and urged Russia to fulfil its international obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. We see this as an internal matter for Estonia and we recognise the right of the Estonian government to relocate memorials and war graves. We note this has been done with due sensitivity and respect.

Terry Lloyd

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) correspondence and  (b) discussions her Department has had in response to the finding of the coroner in October 2006 that ITN correspondent Terry Lloyd was killed unlawfully; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: We have asked US officials whether they plan to take any action on Terry Lloyd's case following the Oxfordshire coroner's ruling last October that Mr. Lloyd was unlawfully killed. The US has confirmed that no action is planned.
	The Crown Prosecution Service is considering Mr. Lloyd's case. We await the outcome of their deliberations and will consider any further action at this time.

PRIME MINISTER

First Ministers

Oliver Heald: To ask the Prime Minister what the status was of the meeting with the Welsh First Minister and the Scottish First Minister in January 2007; and in what capacity he attended the meeting.

Tony Blair: I have regular meetings and discussions with ministerial colleagues and others on a wide range of subjects. Information relating to internal meetings, discussion and advice is not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.

Islam: Conferences

Paul Goodman: To ask the Prime Minister whether his Office helped to organise the guest list for the recent conference on Muslims and Islam in the World Today held by Cambridge university in London.

Tony Blair: Cambridge university organised the conference on 4 June, in consultation with a number of partners including the Coexist Foundation, which is an interfaith charity, the Weidenfeld Institute for Strategic Dialogue and the Government.

JUSTICE

Crime: Victims

Sally Keeble: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what support her Department provides for victims of crime.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government provide a wide range of emotional, practical and financial support to victims of crime.
	The code of practice for victims of crime gives victims a statutory right to receive information, support and advice about their case.
	The Government fund the voluntary organisation, Victim Support, 30 million annually to provide a nationwide service of practical and emotional support to victims and witnesses of crime. Last year almost 1.4 million people were referred to Victim Support.
	The Victims' Fund, established in 2004, has so far distributed 5.25 million to fund specialist support services.
	The Government fund the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority which awards about 170 million annually in financial compensation to blameless victims of violent crime (including terrorism).
	In addition there are 165 witness care units in England and Wales, ensuring that witnesses receive a tailor-made service from the point of reporting a crime, so that they are supported through the court process.

Departments: Legal Costs

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how much was spent by her Department and its predecessor on legal fees in each of the last five years.

Harriet Harman: Information on how much the Department has spent on legal fees in each of the last five years cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate costs.

Departments: Private Finance Initiative

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what the total value of private finance initiative projects included in her Department's balance sheet  (a) is and  (b) was in each of the last five years, broken down by project.

Harriet Harman: Information on total capital value of on-balance sheet PFI deals by project is contained in the following table.
	
		
			   million 
			   2007  2006  2005  2004  2003 
			 Hereford and Worcester magistrates court 25.00 25.00
			 Humberside magistrates court 19.00 19.00
			 Manchester magistrates court 30.00 30.00
			 Derbyshire magistrates court 31.00 31.00
			 East Anglia courts 25.00 25.00 25.00   
			 Sheffield Family Hearing Centre 5.00 5.00 5.00   
			 Exeter combined court 15.00 15.00 15.00   
			 LOCCS 27.00 27.00 20.00 20.00 20.00 
			 LIBRA 38.90 38.90 38.90 38.90 38.90 
			 Avon and Somerset magistrates courts 45.00 45.00
			 HMP Altcourse 68.00 68.00 68.00 68.00 68.00 
			 HMYOI Ashfield 26.00 26.00 26.00 26.00 26.00 
			 HMP Bronzefield 43.00 43.00 43.00 43.00 43.00 
			 HMP Dovegate 64.00 64.00 64.00 64.00 64.00 
			 HMP Forest Bank 45.00 45.00 45.00 45.00 45.00 
			 HMP Lowdham Grange 25.00 25.00 25.00 25.00 25.00 
			 HMP Parc 47.00 47.00 47.00 47.00 47.00 
			 HMP Peterborough 68.00 68.00 68.00 68.00 68.00 
			 HMP Rye Hill 37.00 37.00 37.00 37.00 37.00 
			 HES1 9.00 9.00 9.00 9.00 9.00 
			 HES2 16.00 16.00 16.00 16.00 16.00 
			 STC Cookham Wd 14.30 14.30 14.30 14.30 14.30 
			 STC Onley 18.90 18.90 18.90 18.90 18.90 
			 STC Hassockfield 15.40 15.40 15.40 15.40 15.40 
			 Milton Keynes STC 19.00 19.00 19.00 19.00

Departments: Private Finance Initiative

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what the value was of annual private finance initiative payments made by her Department from  (a) capital and  (b) revenue budgets in each of the last five years.

Harriet Harman: Information on annual unitary charge payments is contained in the following table, with all payments coming from revenue budgets:
	
		
			   Annual unitary charge ( million) 
			 2006-07 181.04 
			 2005-06 211.44 
			 2004-05 183.47 
			 2003-04 234.72 
			 2002-03 423.76

Departments: Private Finance Initiative

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what value of annual private finance initiative payments by her Department was classified as  (a) identifiable and  (b) non-identifiable in each of the last five years, broken down by project.

Harriet Harman: All payments made under PFI are identifiable. Prior to a PFI contract being signed the profile of unitary charge payments is agreed between the contractor and the public sector, subject to the operation of the payment mechanism.

Departments: Private Finance Initiative

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what value of annual private finance initiative (PFI) payments were  (a) to repay capital and  (b) expenditure on other parts of each PFI contract, broken down by project in each of the last five years.

Harriet Harman: The Department does not hold records on this centrally. The information is not therefore currently available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Travel Agency Fees

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how much her Department, its predecessor and its agencies paid in travel agencies' fees in each year since 1997.

Harriet Harman: It is not possible to list the costs spent on travel agencies' fees in each year since 1997 without incurring disproportionate costs as the expenditure is not separately identifiable within the Department's accounts.
	All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the ministerial code and 'Travel by Ministers', copies of which are available in the Library of the House for the reference of Members. All official travel by civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the 'Civil Service Management Code', a copy of which is also available in the Library of the House for the reference of Members.

Expert Evidence: Expenditure

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what proportion of the legal aid budget dedicated to public law Children Act matters was spent on expert witnesses in each year from 2001-02 to 2005-06.

Vera Baird: The information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Prison Service: Disciplinary Proceedings

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many  (a) prison governors and  (b) prison officers are suspended pending investigation at each prison establishment; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information on the numbers of public sector Prison Service employees, of any grade, suspended pending investigation is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Prison Service: Injuries

David Wilshire: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many prison officers were refused payment of a section 11 benefit award following the issuing of a certificate of permanent injury qualification in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: This information is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Prisoners

David Davis: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how prison population projections are calculated; and if she will place in the Library a copy of the models used to do so.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The models used to calculate the current prison population projections are described in Annex 2 of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin 11/06, 'Prison population projections 2006-2013, England and Wales', published on the Home Office website in July 2006. There are five elements to the modelling. In the very short term (the first three months) the XI2-ARIMA method developed by the USA Census Bureau is used. This method is publicly available at:
	www.census.gov/srd/www/xl2a/.
	In the short term (between four months and two years) the population is modelled by a stock-and-flow model. This is not publicly available as it links to Prison Service databases that cannot be published. In the longer term (between two and seven years) the Grove-Macleod model is used. This has been published in OR Insight Vol. 11 Issue 1, January-March 1998, pp. 3-9, 'Forecasting the prison population'. More detail is also available in Occasional Paper 80, 'Modelling crime and offending: recent developments in England and Wales' published on the Home Office website in 2003. The impacts of some changes in legislation and operational procedures are estimated using the Criminal Justice System Model and, if necessary, one-off bespoke calculations. The Criminal Justice System Model is owned by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform and is available to CJS practitioners but is not publicly available. Any one-off calculations are described in the aforementioned mentioned Home Office Statistical Bulletin.

Prisoners: Suicide

David Lidington: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many  (a) convicted prisoners and  (b) remand prisoners committed suicide in each financial year from 2000-01 to 2006-07.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested in respect of self-inflicted deaths according to legal status is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Remand/convicted self-inflicted deaths( 1) : 2000-01 to 2006-07 
			   2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Remand(2) 34 28 41 35 27 26 22 
			 Convicted unsentenced(3) 8 10 15 16 17 11 7 
			 Sentenced 35 37 50 42 42 37 44 
			 Total 77 75 106 93 86 74 73 
			 (1 )Self-inflicted deaths include all deaths where it appears the individual acted specifically to take their own life, not only those that received a suicide or open verdict at inquest. (2 )Includes some with detainee status. (3 )Includes some with J/R status (judgment respited, convicted but awaiting further reports before sentencing).

Prisons

Michael Howard: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1148W, on prisons, how many prison places have been provided  (a) under the private finance initiative,  (b) via other sources of funding and  (c) in response to prison overcrowding.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Under the private finance initiative (PFI) the number of prison places provided (i.e. delivered) under this administration is 5,397, of which 894 places were contracted under the previous administration but delivered by this one.
	Between the end of April 1997 and the end April 2007 a further 13,126 places have been provided through funding other than PFI. This includes a number of places in public sector managed prisons whose contract to build new accommodation will have been signed before 1 May 1997. It is not possible to identify those additional places associated with those contracts.
	All this additional operational capacity has been provided as a response to increasing population pressures.

Prisons: Catering

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice if she will list the prison establishments that have reported difficulties with catering deliveries following the introduction of the shared service centre; what the cost of the shared service centre project has been; which prison establishments have returned to purchasing from local shops for catering purposes; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Difficulties with catering deliveries cannot directly and definitively be attributed to the introduction of the shared service centre. As such there are no comprehensive central records that detail them exhaustively and compiling such a record would be prohibitively expensive.
	The total cost of the shared service centre project is 84.8 million. This excludes capital costs and ongoing running costs.
	Purchasing from local suppliers on an ad hoc basis is a recognised and legitimate contingency measure when failures are experienced in the main supply chain for foodstuff. For example, recent difficulties getting the bulk supply of long-grain rice from North America has caused the Prison Service to purchase existing stocks from local suppliers.

Royal Courts of Justice: Library

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice whether she plans to re-open the library at the Royal Courts of Justice to the public.

Harriet Harman: There are no plans to re-open the library at the Royal Courts of Justice for use by the public.

Solicitors Regulation Authority

John Mann: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice which solicitors were disciplined by the Solicitors Regulation Authority in  (a) 2006 and  (b) 2007 to date.

Bridget Prentice: The Solicitors Regulation Authority has advised that only a limited amount of information is publicly available on solicitors whom it has disciplined. However, an individual may contact the SRA directly to find out about an individual solicitor or firm of solicitors.
	In 2006 there were 743 matters involving 1094 individuals that had a disciplinary decision recorded against the solicitor (as listed). There were also 495 matters involving 529 individuals that were referred to other bodies, including the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).
	So far in 2007 there have been 396 matters involving 596 individuals with a decision recorded, and there have been 252 referrals of matters involving 334 individuals.
	In extracting these figures the Solicitors Regulation Authority have defined disciplined as having one of the following decisions:
	Disapproval
	Finding and Warning
	Intervention (this information is available to the public)
	Practising Certificatesuspended under Section 13B of the Solicitors Act 1974 (this information is available to the public)
	Reprimand
	Reprimand severely
	Vest Discretion (this information relates to conditions imposed on practising certificates and is available to the public)
	The SRA defines a matter as a complaint or allegation. A single matter could be about a firm and the disciplinary decision made against some or all of the partners; therefore a single matter can result in multiple decisions.

Young Offender Institutions: Suicide and Self-Harm

David Lidington: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many  (a) suicides and  (b) incidents of self-harm took place at each young offender institution in (i) 2002-03, (ii) 2003-04, (iii) 2004-05, (iv) 2005-6 and (v) 2006-07.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested in respect of suicides in young offenders institutions is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  YOI self-inflicted deaths( 1) : 2002-03 to 2006-07 
			  Establishment  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Castington 2 
			 Hindley 1 
			 Aylesbury 1 1
			 Glen Parva2 1 
			 Lancaster Farms  1 1   
			 Portland  1
			 Stoke Heath   1   
			 Brinsford   1  1 
			 Reading  1  3  
			 Swinfen Hall  1
			 (1 )Self-inflicted deaths include all deaths where it appears the individual acted specifically to take their own life, not only those that received a suicide or open verdict at inquest. 
		
	
	The exact information requested at  (b) is not available. Self-harm figures are derived from a national recording system of each incident of self-harm in prison, the majority of which are minor, and can be considered only as an estimate.

Young Offenders

David Lidington: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what criteria determine whether a 2052 SH form should be opened on a prisoner detained in a young offenders institution; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The F2052SH (self-harm at risk form) has been replaced by an improved assessment and care planning tool known as the ACCT Plan (Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork). As with the F2052SH, in the event of any incident of self-harm, or whenever a member of staff believes a prisoner/trainee is at risk of suicide or self-harm, they must (where there is not one open already) open an ACCT Plan.

HEALTH

Bicycles: Trains

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the carriage of bicycles on trains; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: There have been no specific meetings on this issue. The discussions between the Department and Department for Transport Ministers in the context of the inter-ministerial group on physical activity have covered broader issues on the importance of walking and cycling to the physical activity agenda.

Blood: Contamination

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many known haemophiliacs who acquired HIV and hepatitis C through blood transfusions there are in  (a) Kent and  (b) the UK.

Caroline Flint: Data are not collected on the number of patients with haemophilia infected with HIV and hepatitis C who are living in Kent. Data for the United Kingdom are provided in the table.
	
		
			   Estimated number of haemophilia patients infected through contaminated blood products who are alive 
			 Hepatitis C(1) 2,538 
			 HIV(2) 360 
			 (1) Estimated data from the United Kingdom Haemophilia Centre Directors' Organisation National Haemophilia Database. (2) Data from the Macfarlane Trust.

Breast Cancer: Screening

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women are on the waiting list for an appointment at the North London Breast Screening Service; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not collected centrally.
	Strict quality assurance is operated across the national health service breast screening programme at a cost of 4 million a year and the performance of local screening services is kept under close review.
	Following concerns in relation to the North London Breast Screening Service, it was temporarily suspended on 29 December 2006.
	In April 2007, a report by NHS cancer screening programmes into services in North London was passed to Enfield primary care trust, and it, together with other stakeholders, reviewed the report's findings and recommendations and developed an action plan for improvement. As a result, the screening service resumed on 14 May 2007 and is being closely monitored to ensure quality and safety.

Cervical Cancer: Vaccination

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when she expects to make a decision on the implementation of the human papilloma virus vaccine following the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation meeting on 28 June 2006;
	(2)  if the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation will bring forward the date of its meeting on the human papilloma virus vaccine; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  if she will ensure that she makes a decision on the introduction of the human papilloma virus vaccine as soon as possible after the relevant meeting of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation; and if she will make a statement;
	(4)  what discussions her Department has had with the Scottish Executive on the school-based vaccination programme for the human papilloma virus in Scotland; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: We are currently seeking expert advice from the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on the efficacy, safety and benefits that new vaccines against human papilloma virus (HPV) may offer. It is important that they thoroughly consider all the available evidence around HPV vaccines and that they only make recommendations when they are sure that all relevant information has been considered.
	No decisions will be taken on introducing these vaccines into the immunisation programme until the main JCVI present their recommendations to Ministers for consideration.
	Officials in my Department and the Scottish Executive have had discussions on this matter.

Dental Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance her Department has issued to primary care trusts on how they should interpret their duty to meet all reasonable requirements for NHS dentistry under the Health and Social Care Act 2003.

Rosie Winterton: The commissioning framework set out in the Annex to Health Reform in England, published by the Department in July 2006, sets out guidance for commissioning national health service services. Further guidance on commissioning is set out in the Commissioning framework for health and well-being published in March 2007. The principles and features of good commissioning set out in these documents, including the importance of assessing local needs, reviewing service provision, deciding priorities, designing services and seeking public and patient views, apply to commissioning primary dental care services.

Dental Services: Dorset

Robert Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dental practices in  (a) North Dorset Primary Care Trust,  (b) South and East Dorset Primary Care Trust and  (c) South West Dorset Primary Care Trust accepted NHS patients in the 12-month period up to April 2006.

Rosie Winterton: Information on dental practices accepting national health service patients is not held centrally. However, information on the number of NHS dental practices and dentists in the North Dorset, South and East Dorset and South West Dorset Primary Care Trusts (PCT) in the 12-month period up to April 2006 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  General dental services (GDS) and personal dental services (PDS): Total numbers of GDS/PDS dentists and practices in specific primary care trusts (PCTs) as at 31 March 2006 
			  Primary care trust  Total number of GDS and PDS dentists( 1)  Number of dental practices 
			 North Dorset 40 13 
			 South and East Dorset 70 29 
			 South West Dorset 65 30 
			 (1) Data are extracted from NHS Dentist Statistics for England Quarter 3: 31 December 2006 report published by The Information Centre on 23 March 2007.  Notes: 1. Dentists will be counted more than once if they have contracts in more than one PCT. 2. The areas have been defined using practice postcodes within the PCT. 3. Dentists consist of principals, assistants and trainees. Prison and emergency contracts are excluded. 4. A dentist with a contract may provide as little or as much NHS treatment as he or she chooses.  Source: Business Services Authority The Information Centre for health and social care

Dental Services: Dorset

Robert Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dental practices within Dorset Primary Care Trust are accepting NHS patients.

Rosie Winterton: Data on national health service dental practices accepting new NHS patients are not available centrally under the new contractual arrangements. However, data on the number of NHS dentists (performers) contracted to perform NHS dental work at primary care trust (PCT) level are available.
	Data on the number of NHS dentists (performers) are available quarter ending 30 June, 30 September and 31 December 2006 at England, strategic health authority and PCT levels in section G of annex 3 of the NHS Dental Statistics for England Q3:31 December 2006 report published by The Information Centre for health and social care. This table also includes the population per NHS dentist.
	This report has been placed in the Library and is also available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/dentistry/nhs-dental-statistics-for-england-q3:-31-december-2006
	Data for the quarter ending March 2007 will be published 19 June 2007.

Doctors: Training

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements her Department  (a) has made and  (b) plans to make to analyse the security implications of the recent Medical Training Application Service website security breach for the Connecting for Health IT project.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 8 May 2007
	The Department has investigated the Medical Training Application Service (MTAS) security breach and discovered that it resulted from a failure on the part of those contracted by the Department to provide this service to apply appropriate security safeguards.
	MTAS was not implemented by the Department's NHS Connecting for Health agency, nor developed by any of its systems suppliers. There are no security implications for any of the applications or services which the agency is providing for the national health service via the national programme for information technology.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding her Department has provided for drug rehabilitation in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: Funding which has been made available, in the form of the pooled drug treatment budget (PTB) and local mainstream funding, for the treatment of drug misuse for England in each of the last five years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  million 
			   PTB  Local funding  Total 
			 2002-03 191 131 322 
			 2003-04 236 200 436 
			 2004-05 253 204 457 
			 2005-06 300 208 508 
			 2006-07 385 212 597 
		
	
	The PTB is allocated to drug action teams throughout the country, who use the funding to commission all forms of drug treatment services to best meet local need.
	A further 54.3 million of capital funding was identified in 2006 to improve inpatient and residential drug and alcohol facilities and access to those services. There was a national bidding process held and the money will be available to fund the successful building projects over the next two years.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many places for drug rehabilitation were made available in each of the last five years, broken down by region; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Ephedrine and Pseudoephedrine

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what legal limit applies to the quantity of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine that can be bought on the internet and imported to the UK; and whether her Department plans to criminalise such imports.

Caroline Flint: In the United Kingdom, there are strict legal controls on the retail sale, supply and advertisement of medicinal products. Pharmacy medicines must be supplied from a registered pharmacy by, or under the supervision of, a pharmacist. These controls apply equally to medicines sold or supplied through internet transactions and mail order. If supply is made through a UK pharmacy-based internet transaction then there is currently no legal restriction of quantity, although a pharmacist would use their professional judgment whether or not to supply the quantity sought.
	The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) monitors the online availability of medicines. UK based websites which are identified dealing in breach of medicines legislation are referred for appropriate enforcement action. Websites discovered operating illegally outside of the UK are referred to the relevant authority in the country concerned for appropriate action.
	As precursors that can be used in the manufacture of illicit drugs, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are subject to the 1988 UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances and are scheduled as category 1 precursors under European legislation. Anyone who imports any quantity of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine is required to obtain a license from the Home Office. The Home Office is currently preparing legislation, to supplement European Union regulation, which will impose criminal penalties for the importation of scheduled substances, including ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, without a valid importation authorisation.

Fats: Health Hazards

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the typical unsaturated fat content of a serving of  (a) oven chips,  (b) deep fried chips,  (c) chicken masala,  (d) fish and chips and  (e) samosa.

Caroline Flint: Data on the unsaturated fatty acid content of foods can be found in McCance and Widdowson's  The Composition of Foods series. Latest data from this series published in 2002 are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Food  Total unsaturated fatty acids (9/100g)( 1)  Typical portion size (g)( 2)  Total unsaturated fatty acids per serving (g) 
			 Oven chips, frozen, baked 2.2 165 3.6 
			 Chips(3), retail, fried in blended oil 10.7 210 22.5 
			 Chicken tikka masala, retail 6.6 300 19.8 
			 Fish(4) and chips(3), fried in blended oil 11.7 380 44.6 
			 Meat samosas, takeaway 11.8 70 8.3 
			 (1) Data from Food Standards Agency (2002) McCance and Widdowson's The Composition of Foods, Sixth summary edition. Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry.  (2) Portion size information taken from Food Standards Agency (2002) Food Portion Sizes, 3rd Edition, London, HMSO.  (3) The fat content of chips will be variable and dependent on a number of factors related to their preparation, including how thick they are cut and their shape, i.e. crinkle as opposed to straight cut.  (4) Based on cod, in batter, fried in blended oil.

Folic Acid: Flour

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her Department's policy is on adding folic acid to flour.

Caroline Flint: The Department is expected to receive advice from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) on the issue of folic acid fortification.
	At its open meeting in May 2007, the FSA Board recommended the mandatory fortification of bread or flour. The Board will consider whether to fortify bread, flour, or flour for bread making purposes only, at its open meeting in June 2007, after which it will submit its advice to United Kingdom Health Ministers.

Food Poisoning

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many recorded incidents of food poisoning there were in each of the last 10 years.

Caroline Flint: The number of notified cases of food poisoning in England and Wales reported to the Health Protection Agency (HPA) each year since 1996 is shown in the following table. Total notifications have shown a decrease since 1996.
	
		
			  Annual corrected food poisoning notifications. England and Wales 1996 to 2006( 1) 
			   Formal notifications  Notifications otherwise ascertained( 1)  Total 
			 1996 50,718 32,515 83,233 
			 1997 54,233 39,668 93,901 
			 1998 53,764 40,168 93,932 
			 1999 48,454 37,862 86,316 
			 2000 46,481 40,047 86,528 
			 2001 46,768 38,700 85,468 
			 2002 38,541 34,108 72,649 
			 2003 35,695 35,200 70,895 
			 2004 34,376 35,935 70,311 
			 2005 34,642 35,765 70,407 
			 2006(2) 31,374 39,557 70,931 
			 (1) Includes port health authorities.  (2) Provisional data.   Source:  HPA.

Food: Additives

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when she last met the Hyperactive Children's Support Group to discuss children's food additives; and if she will publish the minutes of the meeting;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the initial findings of research by the University of Southampton commissioned for the Food Standards Agency on children's food additives; when she expects the report to be published in full; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  what recent assessment she has made of the levels of public trust in food safety; and if she will make a statement;
	(4)  when she last met the Food Standards Agency to discuss additives to children's food; and if she will publish the minutes of the meeting;
	(5)  what recent discussions she has held with Ministers of other EU states on food additives.

Caroline Flint: No recent discussions have been held with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) on additives in children's food, nor have there been any meetings with the Hyperactive Children's Support Group.
	The findings of the research by Southampton University on food additives and children's behaviour are currently undergoing a process of peer review by experts from one of the Government's independent advisory committees (the Committee on Toxicology of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment) and as part of the process of publication in a scientific journal. This peer review process ensures that the validity of the research is confirmed. The full technical report from the study is currently being finalised and will be published after the scientific papers are published in a scientific journal. Prior release of the results of the research would jeopardise the publication of the scientific papers.
	There have been no discussions with other Ministers from European Union member states on food additives; however, discussions between EU member states are currently on-going concerning revisions to the harmonised food additive legislative framework. The European Food Safety Authority has commenced a review of the safety of all food additives, starting with colours, and the FSA will inform the European Commission when the Southampton University research is published so the results can be considered as part of the EU review.
	An assessment of the levels of public trust in food safety is made annually, using the FSA's Consumer Attitudes Survey which is published on their website at:
	www.food.gov.uk/science/surveys/foodsafety-nutrition-diet
	From this survey the proportion of UK adults saying they are concerned about food safety remained constant between 2000 and 2005.

Food: Advertising

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to ensure the Committee for Advertising Practices revised non-broadcast code makes a difference to the nature and balance of advertising of foods high in fat, sugar and salt to children under the age of 16 years; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: Departmental officials and I meet regularly with our counterparts in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to discuss the CAP, BCAP and Ofcom rules regarding the advertising and promotion of food in non-broadcast and broadcast media. The Government are committed to reviewing the change in the nature and balance of food advertising and promotion to children in 2008 and will consider further action based on the outcome of that review.

Food: Labelling

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the impact of the Food Standards Agency's colour-coded food labelling recommendations on consumer behaviour.

Caroline Flint: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has made a commitment to independently evaluate front of pack nutrition signpost labelling schemes in operation in the United Kingdom and their effect on consumer behaviour and understanding. A study will be commissioned later this year to carry out a comparative evaluation of the three main front of pack labelling approaches currently in use in the UK marketplace, including the FSA's recommended colour coded scheme.

Food: Labelling

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of  (a) food labelling expressing guideline daily amounts and  (b) other food labelling differing from the Food Standards Agency's recommendations.

Caroline Flint: The Food Standards Agency has made a commitment to independently evaluate front of pack nutrition signpost labelling schemes in operation in the United Kingdom and their effect on consumer behaviour and understanding. A study will be commissioned later this year to carry out a comparative evaluation of the three main front of pack labelling approaches currently in use in the UK marketplace.

Food: Labelling

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the level of implementation of the Food Standards Agency's colour-coded food labelling recommendations.

Caroline Flint: Current adopters of the Food Standards Agency (FSA's) front of pack signpost nutrition labelling approach tell us that by the end of 2007 over 8,000 own label retailer products and 100 manufacturer product lines will carry signpost labelling based on the FSA's core principles. This includes products by Boots, Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, the Co-operative Group, Virgin trains, Avondale, Britannia, The New Covent Garden Soup Company, McCain, Moypark, Bernard Matthews, SB Herba Foods, Bombay Halwa and Budgens/Londis.
	A number of additional companies are in the process of putting traffic light front of pack signpost labelling on their products, so these figures are likely to increase later in the year. A full list of those who are using the traffic light signpost can be found on the FSA's eatwell website at www.eatwell.gov.uk.

Food: Safety

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what further steps she plans to take to ensure that food that is past its use-by date is not sold to the public.

Caroline Flint: Legislation requires that food business operators ensure that all food sold or supplied is safe for human consumption. Most pre-packed food must also be labelled with a use-by date or a best before date as an indication of minimum durability. It is illegal to sell food after its use-by date.
	Responsibility for enforcing this legislation falls to local authorities, who carry out checks to ensure that hygiene and labelling requirements are met, taking enforcement action where appropriate.

Health Hazards: Noise

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department has taken to educate people about the risk to their hearing from over exposure to loud noise; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Department has set up an ad hoc advisory group to advise about the effects of environmental noise on health, which includes the risk to hearing from over exposure to loud noise. This group is currently producing a report on these matters, which is due to be published later this year.
	The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) produce a leaflet entitled 'Protect your hearing or lose it', which looks at noise and health issues in the workplace. This is available on the HSE website at www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg363.pdf, and a copy has been placed in the Library.

Hybrid Embryos

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance her Department has given to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority on the use of hybrid embryos; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: No advice or guidance has been given to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority on the use of hybrid embryos.

In Vitro Fertilisation

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what consultation her Department is undertaking with health authorities on the implementation of Government guidance that they should provide infertile women with one round of IVF on the NHS;
	(2)  how many strategic health authorities are implementing the Government guidelines on providing women with one cycle of IVF on the NHS;
	(3)  what estimate her Department has made of the cost to the NHS of implementing Government guidelines that women suffering from infertility should be able to get one cycle of IVF on the NHS.

Caroline Flint: We are funding the patient support organisation Infertility Network UK to work with primary care trusts (PCTs) to identify and share good practice in the provision of fertility services, including in vitro fertilisation. The implementation of guidelines produced by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), including the NICE fertility guideline, is a matter for individual PCTs, in discussion with local health bodies and patient groups, and taking account of local circumstances. There is no firm central estimate of the current cost to the NHS of providing one cycle of IVF. When the fertility guideline was published, NICE issued a costing template for use by individual PCTs.

Insulin

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 May 2007,  Official Report, column 595W, on insulin, on which of the dates referred to she met Dr. Sue Roberts and Dr. Nick Summerton of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to discuss the Institute's future programme on insulin treatments; and what the outcome of such discussions was.

Caroline Flint: I was not present at any of the meetings between Dr. Sue Roberts and Dr. Nick Summerton, where I understand they discussed the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's (NICE) future programme on diabetes. A further meeting was held on 17 May 2007. These meetings are part of a series of meetings with the NICE and I understand that discussions are still ongoing.

Malaria: Travel Information

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health from where  (a) general practitioners and  (b) pharmacists draw their information on the malarial status of destinations for UK travellers; and how frequently this information is updated.

Caroline Flint: Guidelines for use by healthcare workers on malaria prevention for travellers from the United Kingdom are formulated by the Health Protection Agency's (HPA) Advisory Committee on Malaria Prevention in UK Travellers (ACMP). The 2007 guidelines, and any change to advice arising since publication, are posted on the web at
	www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics__az/malaria/guidelines.htm.
	Hard copies are available free of charge on request. The guidelines will be reviewed yearly by ACMP and updated as necessary. The British National Formulary (BNF), issued free to general practitioners and pharmacies by the Department, makes recommendations based on the guidelines.
	The ACMP guidelines and any changes to advice are also available to professionals via the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) website at www.nathnac.org and from the TRAVAX website at www.travax.nhs.uk (The A to Z of Healthy Travel; maintained by the Travel Health Division of Health Protection Scotland). NaTHNaC is funded by the Department to promote clinical standards in travel medicine, and has a telephone advice line for health professionals. The departmental publication 'Health Information for Overseas Travel' is available on the NaTHNaC website. The BNF references the HPA guidelines as well as the NaTHNaC and TRAVAX websites.

Mental Health Services: Greater London

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many secure places there are for psychiatric patients in London hospitals; and how many there were in each year between 2004 and 2006.

Rosie Winterton: The data collected record the number of mental health and learning disability secure unit beds in national health service units, not the number of psychiatric secure unit beds.
	The following table shows the average daily number of available secure unit beds, both mental illness and learning disability secure unit beds, in NHS organisations in London between 2003-04 and 2005-06.
	
		
			  Average daily number of available secure unit beds, NHS organisations in London, 2003-04 to 2005-06 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Organisation  Mental illness  Learning disability  Mental illness  Learning disability  Mental illness  Learning disability 
			 Total for London 800 17 831 17 823 16 
			
			 Central and North West London Mental Health NHS Trust 69 0 75 0 75 0 
			 West London Mental Health NHS Trust 176 0 175 0 175 0 
			 Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust 135 0 157 0 184 0 
			 Camden and Islington Mental Health and Social Care Trust 26 0 17 0 24 0 
			 East London and the City Mental Health NHS Trust 95 0 112 0 138 0 
			 Oxleas NHS Trust 84 0 84 0 84 0 
			 South London and Maudsley NHS Trust 114 17 114 17 46 16 
			 South West London and St. George's Mental Health NHS Trust 101 0 97 0 97 0 
			  Source:  Department of Health form KH03. 
		
	
	Note that these beds are from mental health providers in the London area, so they may not all be available for residents in London. There may be beds outside the London area that are used for residents within London. This can be due to the placement needs of individuals.
	The source for these figures is the 'Department of Health Dataset KH03' and the definitions for the purposes of this collection are as follows.
	These figures do not represent the full level of secure services available to the NHS. Low secure mental health services are not consistently defined and may well fall outside the definitions below. This means that the figures above mainly show the numbers in high and medium secure mental health services in NHS units. These figures also show NHS beds only and not those commissioned by the NHS and provided by independent sector providers.
	The definitions of mental health and learning disability secure unit beds, for the purposes of the KH03 annual beds collection, are:
	 Mental illnessother ages, secure unit
	An age group intended of National Code 8 'Any age', a broad patient group code of National Code 5 'Patients with mental illness' and a clinical care intensity of National Code 51 'for intensive care: specially designated ward for patients needing containment and more intensive management. This is not to be confused with intensive nursing where a patient may require one to one nursing while on a standard ward'.
	 Learning disabilitiesother ages, secure unit
	An age group intended of National Code 8 'Any age', a broad patient group code of National Code 6 'Patients with learning difficulties' and a clinical care intensity of National Code 61 'designated or interim secure unit'.
	 From the data dictionary at:
	www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/datadictionary/data_dicionary/messages/central_returns/hospital_aggregated_statistics/kh03/kh03_3_fr.asp

Methylphenidate

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 6 November 2006,  Official Report, columns 775-6W, on methylphenidate, what progress has been made with updating the product information for methylphenidate to advise about serious cardiovascular adverse effects.

Caroline Flint: Following Europe-wide discussions, the product information for Concerta was revised in November 2006, to advise about serious cardiovascular adverse effects, and to recommend that methylphenidate should not be used in children or adolescents with known serious structural cardiac abnormalities. The product information for Ritalin was revised accordingly in June 2007, and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is currently in discussion with the licence holder for Equasym.
	Copies of the most up-to-date product information for Ritalin, Concerta and Equasym can be found in the Electronic Medicines Compendium available at www.medicines.org.uk. This includes the patient information leaflet provided for patients with their medicines and summaries of product characteristics which provide information for doctors and pharmacists.

Milton Keynes Hospital: Armed Forces

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what policy is in place in Milton Keynes General Hospital for the treatment of reservists on return from operational service.

Andy Burnham: The national health service has effective arrangements in place for the reception and treatment of reservists returning from operational service, and all necessary care is provided within the NHS.

Musgrove Park Hospital: Parking

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) revenue income and  (b) estimated overhead cost of the parking charges scheme at Musgrove Park hospital in Taunton constituency was in each of the last 10 years.

Andy Burnham: Information is not available in the precise format required.
	Data on the gross income that national health service trusts receive from car parking charges paid by staff and visitors have been collected since 2000. Information in respect of Musgrove Park hospital is in the table.
	The Department does not collect information about the overhead costs that trusts will incur in providing car parking facilities.
	
		
			   Total income from car parking fees () 
			 2000-01 147,000 
			 2001-02 146,000 
			 2002-03 293,000 
			 2003-04 517,466 
			 2004-05 560,500 
			 2005-06 362,157

NHS: Drugs

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 May 2007,  Official Report, column 606W, on NHS: drugs, what recent discussions she has had on limits on the length of prescription periods.

Caroline Flint: We have had no such discussions. Responsibility for prescribing, including the issue of repeat prescribing and the length of prescriptions, rests with the clinician who has clinical responsibility for that particular aspect of a patient's care.

Nutrition: Pupils

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the decision to award the contract for a seminar on the Effects of Nutrition on School Attainment under the auspices of the Food Standards Agency to the Smith Institute was the subject of a competitive process; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: In line with HM Treasury and European Union public sector procurement rules, contracts worth less than 25,000 are not normally subject to formal competitive processes because of the disproportionate effort in relation to value. However, all proposals are assessed on a value-for-money basis and given the costs of staging seminars of this kind the Smith Institute proposal represented good value for money.

Nutrition: Training

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions Ministers and officials of her Department have had with  (a) officials from the Sector Skills Development Agency,  (b) regional development agencies and  (c) representatives of the catering industry on training in nutrition and its relationship to health and well-being for chefs.

Caroline Flint: The Food Standards Agency have informed me that they have not had any discussions with the Sector Skills Development Agency nor the regional development agencies on the subject of training for chefs. They have, however, had discussions with People1st, the Sector Skills Council for hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism, which is responsible for identifying and tackling skills gaps in that sector.
	Following the 2005-06 review of national occupational standards for food preparation and cooking, a specific unit was created on preparing and cooking healthier dishes. This unit is now available to those training to be chefs who are taking the National Vocational Qualification in food preparation and cooking. In addition, newly developed qualifications in professional cookery contain a mandatory unit on healthier eating and special diets. This means that chefs entering the industry with this qualification will have gained an understanding of the importance of healthier eating.

Obesity

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the reasons for recent trends in rates of obesity; and what steps she is taking to encourage physical exercise.

Caroline Flint: Although the rise in obesity cannot be attributed to any single factor, it is the imbalance between energy in (through the food choices we make) and energy out (mainly through physical activity) which is the root cause.
	Following input from academic, commercial and voluntary sector sources, the Medical Research Council report reviewing the evidence for behaviour change goals is now complete and was launched on 14 March 2007.
	Choosing Activity: a physical activity action plan was published on 9 March 2005. This represents the first truly cross-Government plan to co-ordinate action aimed at increasing levels of physical activity across the whole population. In August 2006 I was asked by the Prime Minister to work across Government on a new strategy, building on Choosing Activity to increase the public's fitness and activity levels in the run up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Obesity

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made in the Government's obesity social marketing campaign.

Caroline Flint: We have developed a robust social marketing/consumer insight framework to inform and enable targeted work at a national, regional and local level to tackle childhood obesity. We have also been working closely with a wide range of stakeholders across the food and activity spectrum, including representatives from Government, commercial and not-for-profit sectors. A core expert review group have validated the approach taken and outputs to date.
	The first initiative in the programme, the 5 A DAY Top Tips for Top Mums campaign, was launched in March. The campaign encourages families to think more about how they can improve their diet and increase fruit and vegetable consumption among children between the ages of two and 11, specifically those in low-income young families.

Obesity: Departmental Co-ordination

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions she has had with the Department for Education and Skills and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on  (a) progress on tackling obesity and  (b) cross-departmental working on the matter.

Caroline Flint: The obesity public service agreement (PSA) target is jointly owned by the Department, the Department for Education and Skills and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in recognition that delivery will depend on a joined up effort across Government.
	The three Departments are working on six fronts: to change population attitudes towards eating and activity; helping children to be active and eat healthily; supporting targeted local-level obesity interventions in children; raising awareness of the importance of healthy weight to children and parents; working with local partners on delivery; and developing the knowledge base.
	There are a number of mechanisms to ensure that the Departments are working effectively in partnership. Ministers, and also permanent secretaries, who are responsible for the PSA target have held regular meetings to monitor progress and identify areas for action.
	The target is co-ordinated by a cross-Government team, led by a cross-Government programme manager and senior officials who are the senior responsible officers for each Department. The PSA programme board brings in delivery chain partners and senior officials from other Government Departments beyond the target-holding Departments.

Radiotherapy

John Horam: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many intensity modulated radiation therapy machines are in regular use in the NHS; and if she will make a statement on progress in introducing these machines.

Rosie Winterton: A survey of radiotherapy equipment is currently under way, and the results of this are expected to be published in the summer.
	The survey includes questions regarding which radiotherapy centres are undertaking intensity modulated radiotherapy, and the numbers of patients they treated in the financial year 2006-07 for each disease application of the technology (prostate, lung and head and neck cancers). It does not ask centres to identify which machine(s) they are using to treat these patients.

Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received from the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child in the last 12 months.

Caroline Flint: A range of Government Departments and stakeholders, including the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child (SPUC), were consulted earlier this year on the implications of the legislation proposed in the Termination of Pregnancy Bill.
	In addition, over the last 12 months, the Department has received approximately 5,300 letters enclosing correspondence from SPUC on issues including abortion, euthanasia and the Mental Capacity Act.

Skin Cancer: Health Education

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the priorities of the SunSmart campaign will be during the summer.

Caroline Flint: The key messages for the next phase of SunSmart (2007-10) are:
	the importance of early detection;
	avoidance of burning;
	the dangers of sunbed use (especially by those under 18); and
	an emphasis on highlighting those most at risk of skin cancer (i.e. people with fair skin, lots of moles or freckles or a family history of skin cancer).
	The target audience for 2007 is holidaymakers.
	Information about the SunSmart campaign and available resources are on the SunSmart website at:
	www.sunsmart.org.uk.

Smoking: Public Places

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance she is providing to those responsible for the management of  (a) places of worship and  (b) listed buildings on the legal requirements to display no smoking signs.

Caroline Flint: Section 6 of the Health Act 2006 sets out a duty for any person who occupies or is concerned in the management of smokefree premises to make sure that no-smoking signs complying with the requirements of the new law are displayed. The new law will require virtually all enclosed workplaces and public places to be smokefree, including places of worship or listed buildings.
	Through the Smokefree England communications campaign, the Department has made guidance available on the new legislation. The guidance makes specific reference to the display of no-smoking signs in heritage buildings within the frequently asked questions section. Guidance has been posted to employing businesses across England, and is also available from the Smokefree England information line on freephone 0800 169 169 7 or to download on the Smokefree England website at:
	www.smokefreeengland.co.uk
	Local councils can also provide advice and support on the new law.
	Departmental officials have met representatives from the Church of England and the Churches Main Committee regarding smokefree legislation. Meetings have also been offered to other faith groups. A Smokefree England fact sheet on smokefree legislation and places of worship has also been produced.
	The Smokefree (Signs) Regulations 2007 set out requirements for the display of no-smoking signs in smokefree premises and vehicles. These regulations have been drafted in a way to afford maximum flexibility within the requirements in the Health Act 2006 for the display of no-smoking signs.
	No-smoking signs may be displayed in a way that fits the decor of premises, as long as the minimum requirements set out in the regulations are met. A sign will need to be displayed in a prominent position at each entrance to smokefree premises. However, it need not be permanently mounted on the building because, for example, the display of a sign on a moveable stand at each entrance would satisfy the legal requirement.
	To support the implementation of smokefree legislation, the Department is making no-smoking signs that meet the legislative requirements freely available to businesses and organisations.

South East Strategic Health Authority: Redundancy

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many individuals employed by the South East strategic health authority have been made redundant since its inception; what percentage of staff this represents; and what the total cost of redundancy payments has been.

Caroline Flint: There were 241 compulsory redundancies made in South East Coast strategic health authority in the 2006-07 financial year.
	This represents 0.25 per cent, of the total workforce of 97,980 in the September 2006 census.
	The costs of redundancy payments have not yet been collected centrally.

Strokes: Diagnosis

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were diagnosed with a stroke in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 7 June 2007
	Hospital Episode Statistics from 2004-05 suggest there were around 73,000 emergency admissions with a primary diagnosis of stroke. However, this figure under-represents the true incidence of stroke for two reasons: firstly some hospital patients who have a stroke may also have another condition as their primary diagnosis; secondly, not all stroke patients currently attend hospital.
	Academic estimates suggest there are around 110,000 strokes in England per annum.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Immigration Policy Enforcement

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he is taking to enforce immigration policies.

Liam Byrne: What people want to see is the UK's immigration system working fairly and effectively.
	That is why we have:
	Removed more failed asylum seekers and illegal migrants than ever before;
	stopped 180,000 people from boarding aircraft to Britain through our airline liaison officers and
	revamped the old IND turning it into the new Border and Immigration Agency, making it more open and more accountable
	We want go furtherthat is why we are:
	Recruiting more immigration officers and police officers;
	introducing tougher powers for front line staff; and
	introducing a migration management system which gives those who can contribute the most the best chance of entering this country.

Asylum Seekers

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to remove failed asylum seekers.

Liam Byrne: The Border and Immigration Agency employs a raft of measures to maximise the number of failed asylum seekers removed.

Asylum Seekers

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of measures to deport failed asylum seekers.

Liam Byrne: The effectiveness of measures deployed to remove failed asylum seekers are assessed on an ongoing basis. These measures have ensured that the removal of failed asylum seekers has been steadily increasing over the past few years.

Jamil el-Banna

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the immigration status of Jamil el-Banna.

Liam Byrne: Mr. el-Banna was recognised as a refugee by the United Kingdom in 1997, and was granted indefinite leave to remain in 2000. That leave has now lapsed.

Safer Neighbourhood Teams

Bob Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what role he expects Safer Neighbourhood Teams to play in reducing the number of criminal damage offences.

Vernon Coaker: Neighbourhood Policing Teams can play a vital role with others in tackling criminal damage.
	They get to know people in their local neighbourhoods so that they have a better understanding of the nature and extent of the problem and what contributions others can make to reducing it.
	They can then work with a range of agencies who can take action in line with local priorities, as well as taking police enforcement action where appropriate.

Special Constables

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to encourage staff in retail establishments to join the special constabulary.

Vernon Coaker: In February 2004, the Home Office, Metropolitan police, Dixons, and Woolworths launched the Shopwatch initiative, which recruits employees as special constables from the retail establishments to patrol specific retail areas.
	The Shopwatch programme was piloted in the general Camden area, Regent/Oxford street and the Birmingham Bullring Palisades.
	The Shopwatch programme has succeed in reducing retail crime by 50 per cent. in 2004 in participating retail stores.
	The Shopwatch programme is a prime example of proactive partnership working across the community and forces

Knife Crime

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests for knife-related crime there were in each of the last four years.

Vernon Coaker: The main arrests collection held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform covers persons arrested for recorded crime (notifiable offences) by main offence group (ie violence against the person, robbery, burglary etc.) only.
	Knife related offences are not specifically defined by statute, and details of the individual circumstances of arrests are not asked for as part of the Arrests for Recorded Crime (Notifiable Offences) collection.

Immigration System

George Mudie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will increase the staffing resources dealing with priority legacy immigration cases.

Liam Byrne: The chief executive of the Border and Immigration Agency, Lin Homer, wrote to the Home Affairs Committee on 19 February with an update on the Legacy Programme. Her letter confirmed that a new directorate had been established to deal specifically with legacy cases, with significant case-working capability.

Immigration System

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress is being made in reviewing the immigration system; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: We are making good progress against the milestones published in the IND Review, which was published last year. This includes meeting almost all of the milestones we had set to achieve by April 2007.

Intelligence Sharing

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with West Yorkshire police on the exchange of intelligence between them and the security services.

Tony McNulty: I have not had any discussions with West Yorkshire police on the exchange of intelligence between them and the Security Service.
	It is not appropriate to discuss operational matters. The sharing of intelligence is a matter for the agencies involved.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to visit the Immigration and Nationality Directorate before he leaves office.

Liam Byrne: As part of my ongoing programme of regional visits to the Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) operations in Croydon and around the UK, I discuss the services provided by managed migration, asylum and enforcement with both staff and stakeholders. I also regularly discuss the efficiency of the service with the chief executive of BIA, and other senior officials.

Antisocial Behaviour

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with Ministers and officials in the Ministry of Justice on combating anti-social behaviour.

Vernon Coaker: I have had no formal meetings with Ministers or officials in the Ministry of Justice, since its inception last month, specifically concerning antisocial behaviour.
	Ministers and officials in the Home Office engage in regular discussions with their counterparts in the Ministry of Justice, and other Government Departments about combating antisocial behaviour and other issues.

Asylum

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provisions are in place to help asylum-seekers gain a better understanding of the UK asylum process.

Liam Byrne: Within a week of making their asylum application an applicant meets their case owner. The case owner remains the applicant's single point of contact for all aspects of their asylum application. At this first reporting event, the case owner fully explains to the applicant how the asylum process works and answers any questions. They also provide information about access to legal representatives. The applicant is able to contact their case owner at any time during the asylum process with any queries or concerns they may have.
	Accommodation providers and voluntary sector organisations also deliver briefings to applicants about the asylum process and applicants' rights and responsibilities while they are in the UK. We are currently working with them to update this briefing to ensure it properly reflects our process and is fully up to date.
	The Border and Immigration Agency public website also contains information about asylum policies and procedures.

Asylum: Fraud

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were convicted in 2006 of conspiracy to help people gain asylum fraudulently; and how many of those were deported.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 24 May 2007
	 The information could be obtained by the detailed examination of individual case records only at disproportionate cost.

Asylum: Gender

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of New Asylum Model case owners in each region are  (a) male and  (b) female; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The requested information is shown in the table.
	
		
			   Percentage case owners 
			  Regional asylum teams  Male( 1)  Female( 2) 
			 North East 45 55 
			 Wales and the South West 52 48 
			 West Midlands, East Midlands and East of England 26 74 
			 North West 40 60 
			 London and the South East 41 59 
			 Scotland and Northern Ireland 38 62 
			 (1) Percentages are based on management information.  (2) Includes Detained Fast Track teams at Harmondsworth and Yarl's Wood.

Asylum: Gender

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Border and Immigration Agency is expected to have the capacity to allow asylum seekers at screening stage to express a preference as to the sex of the New Asylum Model case owner to be allocated to them and for that request to be met; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Applicants can request a gender specific case owner at any time, including during the screening interview. All requests will be met where it is operationally possible to do so.

Community Support Officers: Protective Clothing

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will issue guidance to all chief constables in England and Wales advising them of the benefits of stab vests for police community support officers.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 27 February 2007
	 The Home Office Scientific Development Branch produces standards for body armour which incorporate a number of different protection levels. These standards were last published in 2003 but we plan to issue revised standards in the next month. All body armour is tested against these standards at Home Office approved test houses.
	In 1995 the Home Office Scientific Development Branch, in collaboration with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), developed a Police Operational Requirement (POR) for body armour. This requirement states that the protection provided by ballistic and stab resistant body armour must be sufficient to prevent the wearer from sustaining serious or permanent injury. To achieve this, five vital organs located within the torso must be protected: the heart, lungs, liver, spleen and kidneys.
	The provision of police equipment is a matter for chief officers. However I have written to the forces which do not provide protective armour to police community officers to ask them to clarify the reasons for their decision, and I will let my hon. Friend know the responses of the four forces at the earliest opportunity.

Convention on the Rights of the Child

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the merits of withdrawing the UK's reservation to the UN convention on the rights of the child.

Liam Byrne: We have reviewed the need to retain this Reservation a number of times. Our own legal advice is that effective immigration control would be compromised were we to withdraw this Reservation.

Criminal Records

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the review of his Department's systems in relation to the recording of crimes committed abroad will be completed.

Tony McNulty: The Home Secretary has asked Sir Ian Magee to undertake a review of the ways in which information about criminality is recorded, used and shared for public protection purposes.
	It will be a two stage process and the overall duration will be determined once the first stage has been completed. That first stage will be brisk and will focus on scoping the problems, assessing what deficiencies there are and where they lie. The second stage will constitute the substance of the work and will concentrate on conclusions and recommendations for improving the relevant systems.
	The review will take account of the report of the inquiry into the handling of overseas convictions. Whatever the review recommends, we will only be able to reduce risks rather than remove them altogether.

Departmental Expenditure

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the original predicted cost was for the  (a) CJS Exchange,  (b) EDRM,  (c) Adelphi , (d) immigration and nationality directorate's points based system,  (e) Mycroft,  (f) NSPIS Case and Custody,  (g) IMPACT Nominal Index,  (h) Cross Regional Information Sharing Project (CRISP),  (i) WITR,  (j) WISP,  (k) Warnings Index Portfolio,  (l) Identity Management,  (m) ePassports,  (n) Biometric residence permits,  (o) IBIP,  (p) e-Borders procurement,  (q) CIDTR,  (r) identity cards,  (s) CID and  (t) NOMIS IT projects.

Liam Byrne: The Information requested is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Policy/Programme  Project Name/ID  Project Description, Scope and the Key Elements/Sublevels  Original Planned Cost ( million)  Current estimated cost ( million)( 1) 
			 NOMS NOMIS National Offender Management Information System for the Prison service 200.00 200.00 
			 IND 5 year Strategy CID Support and maintenance of existing casework system, and adaptation to developing business requirements 70.00 66.00 
			 IND 5 year Strategy CID TR Redesign of existing casework system to facilitate support and maintenance, and adaptation to developing business requirements 36.00 Project now subsumed into other CID project 
			 IND 5year Strategy Biometric Residence Permits Introduction of new format EU residence permits. Part of CID Project. For reasons of commercial sensitivity we are not able to provide further cost details at this time. For reasons of commercial sensitivity we are not able to provide further cost details at this time. 
			 e-Borders e-Borders procurement Involves the procurement and implementation of solution to capture and analyse passenger information in advance of arrival into/departure from the UK and alert the appropriate Border Control Agencies of high risk passengers. Also replaces the current WI system used to support clearance into the UK  watchlisting of visa applications. For reasons of commercial sensitivity we are not able to provide further cost details at this time. For reasons of commercial sensitivity we are not able to provide further cost details at this time. 
			 IND 5 year Strategy IBIP Key enabler for introduction of biometric-based identification documents 64.00 64.00 
			 IND 5 year Strategy ePassports (readers) Provision of readers for new format passports. Sub-project within IBIP 9.00 1.40 
			 IND 5 year Strategy Identity Management (Fingerprint Recognition) Major expansion of capacity of existing fingerprint recognition system. Sub-project within IBIP. 11.00 Project now subsumed into another multi-agency project 
			 IND 5 year Strategy Warnings Index Portfolio Warnings Index Tech Refresh, Warnings Index Support Procurement 32.00 28.50 
			 IND 5 year Strategy WITR Warnings Index Tech Refresh. Sub-project of Warnings Index Portfolio 21.00 14.50 
			 IND 5 year Strategy WISP Warnings Index Support Procurement. Sub-project of Warnings Index Portfolio 11.00 14.00 
			 Bichard Implementation Home Office IMPACT Programme Improves ability of police service to manage and share operational information to prevent and detect crime. Constituent projects: INI (IMPACT Nominal Index), IMPACTCRISP (IMPACT Cross Regional Information Sharing Project) and PND (Police National Database). Costs are From 2005-6 to 2015-16 including post-implementation costs 367.00 357.00 
			 IND Mycroft Provides a secure networked intelligence system that delivers timely and legally compliant intelligence through the use of IT 65.00 42.00 
			 IND Points-Based system Provides an automated points based system for assessing and deciding certain applications for leave to enter/remain in the UK For reasons of commercial sensitivity we are not able to provide further cost details at this time. For reasons of commercial sensitivity we are not able to provide further cost details at this time. 
			 Corporate Services Adelphi Finance, HR and procurement system for core HO 68.00 59.00 
			 Corporate Services EDRM Records management 55.00 45.00 
			 OCJR CJS Exchange Tri-laterally funded under OCJR. Exchange hub for data sharing across the CJS 240.00 over 10 years 260.00 over 10 years 
			 | Police ICT NSPIS Case and Custody Electronic custody suite and case files 249.00 to April 2008. Note that this figure covers the cost of delivering the programme only. It does not include maintenance costs until April 2013. The figure of 364 million provided in response to PQ 86109 in July 2006 included all of these maintenance costs. 259 
			 (1)This table provides the most up to date and reliable figures programmes/projects requested available for the

Departments: Ministerial Statements

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his Department's policy is on the announcing of statements to the media; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 4 June 2007
	 Statements to the media are made in line with the Ministerial Code and Cabinet Office propriety guidance provided by the Government Communications Network (GCN). I have arranged for a copy of the recently revised guidance to be placed within the House Library.
	This guidance can also be accessed online via the following weblink:
	http://www.comms.gov.uk/Public_Website/guidance/propriety.aspx

Departments: Public Expenditure

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on  (a) advertising,  (b) refreshments and  (c) stationery by his Department in each year since 2005.

John Reid: The Department's expenditure on advertising, refreshments and stationery in each of the last two years was:
	
		
			   million 
			   2005-06  2006-07 
			 Advertising 15.83 10.64 
			 Refreshments 1.13 1.25 
			 Stationery 6.58 7.02 
		
	
	The numbers for advertising include expenditure on publicity and the numbers for refreshments are a combination of refreshments and working lunches. To show advertising and refreshments separately could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Electronic Tagging

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the merits of deploying human radio-frequency identification (RFID) microchipping; what meetings he has held on such microchipping; what representations he has received from civil liberties groups on RFID microchipping; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I have been asked to reply.
	We have looked into the merits of deploying this technology in the past but we have not seen any evidence that it would work successfully.
	On that basis there have been no representations received by stakeholders from civil liberties groups as there is currently no intention of using this technology.
	Instead, a pilot for the use of satellite tracking technology to monitor the compliance of offenders who are subject to exclusion conditions, and to monitor offenders' whereabouts as a condition of a licence on release from prison, took place from September 2004 until June 2006. The pilots are currently the subject of a comprehensive review and an independent evaluation, the results of which are due out later this year.

Firearms: Crime

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many individuals in each police force area  (a) were convicted and  (b) received upon conviction a minimum five-year sentence for possessing an illegal firearm in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many individuals in each constituency  (a) were convicted and  (b) received upon conviction a minimum five-year sentence for possessing an illegal firearm in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The minimum five year sentence applies only to persons aged 18 or over and came into force for offences committed from 22 January 2004. The information requested, relating to England and Wales for the years 2004 and 2005, is shown in the following table. Information for 2006 will be available in the autumn.
	Court proceedings data cannot easily be related to constituency areas as they are collected by police force area and local justice area.
	
		
			  Persons aged 18 and over sentenced and those sentenced to mandatory 5 year term (or over) for possession of firearms, by police force area, England and Wales 
			   2004  2005 
			  Police force area  Total persons sentenced  5 year + custodial term  Total persons sentenced  5 year + custodial term 
			 Avon and Somerset 12 1 10 3 
			 Bedfordshire 4 1 1 1 
			 Cambridgeshire 5
			 Cheshire 12  4 2 
			 Cleveland 8  3  
			 Cumbria 4  1  
			 Derbyshire 7  6 4 
			 Devon and Cornwall 11  2 1 
			 Dorset 5 1 2  
			 Durham 6  6 1 
			 Essex 22  6  
			 Gloucestershire 3  2  
			 Greater Manchester 62 3 30 15 
			 Hampshire 11 1 6 1 
			 Hertfordshire 6 1 5 1 
			 Humberside 11  5 1 
			 Kent 15 2 5  
			 Lancashire 7  8 1 
			 Leicestershire 12 2 6 2 
			 Lincolnshire 5  3  
			 London(1) 162 36 116 61 
			 Merseyside 41 9 22 10 
			 Norfolk 10  4 3 
			 Northamptonshire 5 1 7 3 
			 Northumbria 28 3 5 1 
			 North Yorkshire 4
			 Nottinghamshire 17 2 10 4 
			 South Yorkshire 14 3 10 7 
			 Staffordshire 8  3  
			 Suffolk 5 1 5  
			 Surrey 6  2 1 
			 Sussex 11  7 1 
			 Thames Valley 16  4 2 
			 Warwickshire 7 1   
			 West Mercia 9  3 1 
			 West Midlands 46 5 22 9 
			 West Yorkshire 39 3 9 4 
			 Wiltshire 3  2 1 
			 Dyfed-Powys 4  1  
			 Gwent 3  1  
			 North Wales 7  3  
			 South Wales 13  6 1 
			  
			 Total 686 76 353 142 
			 (1) Metropolitan and City of London police forces  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.  Source: RDS-NOMS, Home Office

Firearms: Sentencing

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many and what percentage of people convicted of carrying an illegal firearm under the Criminal Justice Act 2003 have received the mandatory sentence established by the Act since it came into force, broken down by age group;
	(2)  what the average sentence handed down to people convicted of carrying an illegal firearm under the Criminal Justice Act 2003 was in each of the last three years.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 27 March 2007
	The minimum five year sentence (three years for those aged 16 or 17) came into force on 22 January 2004. The available information, relating to England and Wales for 2004 and 2005, is contained in table one. Data sent to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 5 June (see table 2) show that the average sentence for firearms possession has increased from 27.3 months in 2003 to 47.3 months in 2005. The equivalent figures in 1995 were 12.1 months.
	Figures for 2006 will be available in the autumn.
	
		
			  Table 1: Persons( 1)  sentenced for firearms possession offences involving mandatory custodial sentences, England and Wales 
			Of which: 5 years or over( 2)  
			  Offence  Statutes  Year  Age group  Total persons sentenced  Persons given immediate custody  No.  % of total sentenced  Average custodial sentence length (months) 
			 Possessing or distributing prohibited weapons or ammunition or firearm disguised as other object. Firearms Act 1968 sections 5(1)(a),(ab),(aba),(ac),(ad), (ae), (af) or (c) and section 5(1 A)(a) as amended by the Criminal Justice Act 2003 section 287. 2004(3) 16-17 49 10 5 10.2 25.0 
			18-20 122 35 13 10.7 39.5 
			21+ 565 206 63 11 .2 35.3 
			Total 736 251 81 11.0 35.3 
			  
			   2005 16-17 32 9 4 12.5 26.0 
			18-20 59 34 18 30.5 45.5 
			21+ 294 199 124 42.2 48.6 
			Total 385 242 146 37.9 47.3 
			 (1) Principal offence basis. (2) Three years in the case of persons aged 16-17. (3) Many of the persons dealt with in 2004 will have committed their offences prior to the mandatory sentence being introduced in January 2004.  Source: RDS-NOMS, Home Office 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Persons( 1)  sentenced for firearms possession offences involving mandatory custodial sentences (from 2004), England and Wales, 19995-2005 
			Of which: 5 years or over( 2)  
			  Offence  Statutes  Year  Age group  Total persons sentenced  Persons given immediate custody  No.  % of total sentenced  Average custodial sentence length (months) 
			 Possessing or distributing prohibited weapons or ammunition or firearm disguised as other object. Firearms Act 1968 sections 5(1 )(a), (ab), (aba)(3), (ac), (ad), (ae), (af)(4) or (c) and section 5(1A)(a) as amended by the Criminal Justice Act 2003 section 287. 1995 16-17 39 4   3.0 
			18-20 102 10   10.2 
			21+ 524 70 1 0.2 12.9 
			Total 665 84 1 0.2 12.1 
			  
			   1996 16-17 34 5   6.0 
			18-20 87 10   3.2 
			21 + 597 93 9 1.5 19.4 
			Total 718 108 9 1.3 17.2 
			  
			   1997 16-17 32 3   10.7 
			18-20 105 9   2.7 
			21 + 639 94 7 1.1 16.8 
			Total 776 106 7 0.9 15.3 
			  
			   1998 16-17 36 2   4.5 
			18-20 159 19   5.4 
			21 + 836 150 7 0.8 15.1 
			Total 1,031 171 7 0.7 13.9 
			  
			   1999 16-17 36 2   7.5 
			18-20 98 12   5.2 
			21 + 666 124 7 1.1 17.1 
			Total 800 138 7 0.9 15.9 
			  
			   2000 16-17 35 3 . _ 10.0 
			18-20 109 16 1 0.9 14.4 
			21 + 585 123 5 0.9 19.6 
			Total 729 142 6 0.8 18.7 
			  
			   2001 16-17 62 2   8.0 
			18-20 148 21   7.5 
			21 + 529 108 7 1.3 21.0 
			Total 739 131 7 0.9 18.7 
			  
			   2002 16-17 54 8   9.8 
			18-20 115 26   16.6 
			21 + 603 140 15 2.5 23.0 
			Total 772 174 15 1.9 21.3 
			  
			   2003 16-17 52 8   11.0 
			18-20 121 23   18.6 
			21 + 713 183 34 4.8 29.3 
			Total 886 214 34 3.8 27.3 
			  
			   2004(5) 16-17 49 10 5 10.2 25.0 
			18-20 122 35 13 10.7 39.5 
			21+ 565 206 63 11.2 35.3 
			Total 736 251 81 11.0 35.3 
			  
			   2005 16-17 32 9 4 12.5 26.0 
			18-20 59 34 18 30.5 45.5 
			21 + 294 199 124 42.2 48.6 
			Total 385 242 146 37.9 47.3 
			 (1) Principal offence basis. (2) Three years in the case of persons aged 16-17. (3) Came into force during 1997. (4) Came into force during 2004. (5) Many of the persons dealt with in 2004 will have committed their offences prior to the mandatory sentence being introduced in January 2004.  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.  Source: RDS-NOMS, Ministry of Justice

Genetics: Databases

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals' records are held on the National DNA Database, broken down by  (a) age,  (b) ethnicity and  (c) the police force which provided the profile.

John Reid: Tables showing the information requested will be placed in the Library. These show the number of profiles on the database as at 31 January 2007 broken down by gender, police force, age when the profile was taken, and ethnic appearance, as recorded by the officer taking the DNA sample. Some people arrested by a force live in the area of another forcethe force shown is the one which took the profile. The number of profiles is 13.7 per cent. higher than the number of individuals because of duplicate records. There were 37,476 profiles on the database where the gender was not recorded, and these have not been included in the figures.

Immigration Controls: Luton Airport

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from London Luton Airport on the number of HM Immigration Service staff at London Luton Airport.

Liam Byrne: A letter was received from the Managing Director of London Luton Airport Operations Limited on 30 April 2007 making representations about the level of border control staff at London Luton.

Immigration: Detention Centres

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance his Department has issued to  (a) HM Prison Service and  (b) private sector contractors on recommended staff/detainee ratios in immigration removal centres.

Liam Byrne: The Border and Immigration Agency does not provide guidance on staff detainee ratios to HM Prison Service as they have vast experience in operating custodial environments.
	The Border and Immigration Agency does not provide guidance on staff/detainee ratios to private sector organisations. Staffing levels are none the less a key area of evaluation during the competitive tender process for the operation of removal centres. All contractors are required to provide a safe environment at all times for detainees, staff and visitors.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to answer the letter dated 23 April 2007 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Qaisar Ilyas.

John Reid: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 5 June 2007.

Naturalisation: English Language

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for naturalisation as a British citizen were  (a) delayed and  (b) refused because of concerns about the veracity of the evidence supplied by the applicants on his or her knowledge of English in the last period for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: The information requested could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.

Police: Community Support Officers

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department has taken to promote public awareness of the difference between police officers and police community support officers.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 4 June 2007
	 The Home Office has focused on raising public awareness of the new role of police community support officers (PCSOs) and neighbourhood policing teams, which are now being implemented across England and Wales. A successful national PCSO recruitment campaign in 2006 was designed not only to encourage applications but also to help explain the role of a PCSO. This campaign included television and radio adverts, poster campaigns and national and local press advertising.
	In addition, a six-part documentary series followed the work of PCSOs in Lancashire and the Thames Valley. The series ran between October and December 2006 on ITV (England) and achieved an average audience of 2.3 million rising to 3 million. All of this activity has raised the profile of PCSOs and the neighbourhood policing teams in which they serve. It has also supported the police service in their drive to increase PCSO numbers to 16,000 across England and Wales.
	Neighbourhood policing teams will consist of police sergeants, constables and PCSOs, and may also comprise special constables, wardens, neighbourhood managers, housing managers, youth workers and other community partners, depending on the needs and priorities of the community that the team serves. In promoting neighbourhood policing teams the Home Office and the police service has celebrated the diverse and complementary nature of the various ranks and roles within these teams which join together to provide a visible and accessible service to the communities they serve.

Police: Manpower

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police liaison officers there are in England and Wales, broken down by police force area.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not collected centrally in the police personnel statistics.

Police: Pensions

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average contribution from gross pay was by individual police officers towards pension funds in the latest period for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not held centrally. Police officers contribute either 11 per cent. or 9.5 per cent. of their pensionable pay depending on whether they are members of the Police Pension Scheme 1987 or the Police Pension Scheme 2006 respectively.

Police: Pensions

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the average lump sum pension payment was to  (a) female and  (b) male police officers in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  what methodology and calculations are used to work out the lump sum pension payment for  (a) female and  (b) male police officers.

Tony McNulty: The information requested about the average size of a pension lump sum is not held centrally. Under the Police Pension Scheme 1987 a lump sum is not paid out automatically but only where the officer chooses to convert (commute) part of his or her pension into a lump sum. The size of a lump sum depends on the officer's pensionable pay, his or her length of pensionable service, the proportion of pension that the officer chooses to commute, and the commutation factor to be applied to the surrendered portion of pension in order to convert it into a lump sum.
	The Police Pensions Regulations 1987 require that the lump sum be determined as the actuarial equivalent of the surrendered portion of the pension at the date of retirement, calculated from tables prepared by the Government Actuary. The commutation factors used for the 1987 Scheme are graduated according to the age and gender of the officer concerned in order to reflect the fact that, on average, women live longer than men and younger people have a longer remaining life expectancy than older people. Pension scheme actuarial factors are exempted from the legal requirements for sex and age equality.

Police: Telephone Services

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 30 April 2007,  Official Report, column 1420W, on police telephone services, when he expects the target times for answering  (a) emergency and  (b) non-emergency calls under the National Call Handling Standards to be (i) collated nationally and (ii) implemented by all police forces.

John Reid: holding answer 23 May 2007
	 Data relating to emergency (999) calls are being collated by the Home Office for the first time this year. Data will be gathered on a quarterly basis as part of an Annual Data Requirement. At present, there are no plans to collate at a national level data relating to non-emergency calls.
	The National Call Handling Standards were agreed by ACPO in November 2006. An implementation review is being undertaken by the National Policing Improvement Agency with a target completion date of November 2007.

Prisoners: Females

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women  (a) are being held in UK prisons and  (b) were being held in each year since 2000.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I have been asked to reply.
	Figures showing the numbers of female prisoners in all prison establishments in England and Wales between 2000 and 2006, as at 30 June each year, and for April 2007, can be found in the following table.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2000 3,355 
			 2001 3,713 
			 2002 4,394 
			 2003 4,595 
			 2004 4,452 
			 2005 4,514 
			 2006 4,463 
			 2007 (April) 4,502 
		
	
	The figures between 2000 and 2005 were taken from table 8.1 of the Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2005, a copy of which is held in the House of Commons Library. The figures for June 2006 and for April 2007 were taken from the published Population in Custody monthly tables.
	The Scottish Executive and the Northern Ireland Prison Service are able to give the figures for prison establishments in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible data entry and processing errors.

Terrorism Act 2000

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 8 May 2007,  Official Report, column 92W, on the Terrorism Act 2000, how many people were awaiting trial under terrorism legislation during the period 1 January to 1 April 2007.

John Reid: holding answer 4 June 2007
	Statistics for this period are not yet available. However, as soon as they are finalised they will be placed on the Home Office website.
	As stated in a previous answer of 8 May 2007, there were 98 individuals at or awaiting trial for terrorist offences as of 31 December 2006.

Terrorism: Hotline

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are employed to handle calls to the anti-terrorism hotline; what the total cost of their annual salaries is expected to be in 2007-08; and what the annual cost is of the salary of the head of the anti-terrorism hotline.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 4 June 2007
	 The total number of people employed to handle calls on the anti-terrorism hotline is not fixed.
	The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Counter Terrorism Command has a dedicated team of 16, led by a detective sergeant. This team provides a 24/7 communications capability and are responsible for initial receipt of all communications including the anti-terrorism hotline. It is not possible to establish what proportion of time is spent solely on the hotline.
	The annual budget for this team is 472,446 and the salary for the team manager is drawn from within this amount.